


Eventide

by Jinkisducklings



Series: Skyrim Au [1]
Category: SHINee
Genre: I guess also, M/M, Mentioned Kim Kibum | Key, Oh, Past Onho, Racism when it comes to Jinki and Windhelm, Skyrim AU, Slight Violence, Slow Burn, blood mention, cross posted to aff and tumblr, its fantasy but it might rub people the wrong way, like it takes them like eight chapters to really turn up the heat lmao, magic use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-08-09 07:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16445237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinkisducklings/pseuds/Jinkisducklings
Summary: Where a two-handed ax warrior is commisioned to help a very powerful destruction mage to the College of Winterhold in exchange for a room in a packed inn.





	1. Chapter 1

          As soon as the door was pulled open the smell of ale, musk, and smoke from the numerous fires came billowing out. He scrunched his nose as he made sure his coin was safely secured on his belt loop. He wasn’t about to lose his money to some crook who wanted to press their luck in the overcrowded inn. The door slamming shut couldn’t be heard over the usual inn atmosphere, the drunks yelling and threatening fights, the loud conversations and bolstering laughter from the nearly packed to the brim tables scattered around the room. He was beginning to question if there was any room for him to buy for the night.

          After a few moments of shifting and twisting to get through the crowd, he made it to the bar, where he hoped the man behind it was the innkeeper. “What can I do for ya?”

          “I’d like to rent a room for the night.” He had to almost holler to be heard over the other patrons.

          “We’re all taken up now.” The innkeeper pressed his lips together. “I can offer ya a hot meal and food for ya travels, but I can’t sell ya a room I don’t have.”

          “Well. Thanks anyway.” He thought about taking his offer on that hot meal, especially when his stomach began to growl, but he needed a place to sleep and if he tried hard enough he could make it to the next town over by complete nightfall.

          “I may have a room for you,” Came a deep voice from behind him, “For a price.”

          Slowly he turned, searching the area for who could have spoken. His eyes fell on a mage sitting by the fire against the right wall. His robes were covered in threaded patterns, dark blue in color with a bit of silver along the sleeves. His fingers were covered with expensive looking rings, silver and gold glinting in the firelight as they lifted from holding his mug to push back his hood. He was staring at the fire, watching the flames flicker against the rough stone. Still, without eye contact of any kind, Jonghyun was sure he was the owner of the voice. “And what might that price be, Mage?”

          The mage chuckles, deep and breathy, looking at him from the corner of his eye. “Just a simple escort, Warrior.”

          “You seem more than capable enough to take care of yourself.” Jonghyun crosses his arms over his chest, his heavy metal armor clinking as it moved against each other.

          With a soft hum, the high elf replied. “Usually, but some khajiit stole my horse a few towns over and it’s by far longer on foot.”

          “If I accept your offer where’s your destination?”

          Finally, the deep eyes of the man make complete eye contact with his own. “College of Winterhold. I have business with the Archmage there.”

          “What’s to say I don’t take your room and refuse to escort you?”

          A smirk pulls at the man’s lips as his hand rose from his thigh. Flames appear and flicker around his fingers as he calmly says, “I doubt you want to test that theory. Even heavy armor melts in the heat.”

          After a few moments, Jonghyun walked over to sit on the other side of the fire, extending his hand out between them. “My name is Jonghyun. I’d gladly take your deal.”

          The flames were extinguished from around his fingers before he took the hand in a soft, yet firm, handshake. “I’m Jinki. You can have the bed in the room, but I do request you let me sleep on my bedroll in the corner.”

          “I think I can manage that.” Jonghyun smiled softly for a moment before gesturing, “Do you mind showing me where it is? I’m beat and all this armor is heavy.”

          “Ah yes, of course.” Gracefully he rose from his seat, crossing his arms loosely in front of him with his hands hidden within the sleeves of his robe. He nodded his head carefully to the left of the main counter. “I often forget the uneasiness of being a warrior.”

          As he followed a step or two behind, watching the way Jinki’s robes swished as he walked, almost fascinated, he commented, “You sound like you’ve experienced this before.”

          “Well, before one learns a spell or two, one must defend themselves with a weapon like the common folk.” Jinki glanced up after unlocking the room. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have made ill of your style of living.”

          “It’s quite alright.” Jonghyun quickly walked toward the bed, carefully removing his belt and bags, before moving onto his armor. “Fighting with a sword or ax IS what common folk fight with. That being said, you are actually capable of taking care of yourself, right?”

          Jinki chuckled, from deep in his chest. “I can handle myself quite well. You need not worry about having to carry me through the trek. I just need you for when the journey depletes my energy. It’s hard to rejuvenate on the constant move, and my matter with the Archmage is somewhat urgent.”

          As soon as his breastplate was off, Jonghyun took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders a little at the weight being lifted from them. Once his boots were kicked off and scooted under the bed, he jumped onto the mattress and grabbed an apple from his pack. He gazed over at Jinki carefully, trying to read him at all. “What brought you here to Skyrim?”

          “I was born here,”  Jinki laughed when he noticed the disbelief upon Jonghyun’s expression. “Honest. I am a High Elf, but my parents were here, exploring.. Traveling… When my mother had me. Grew up in Markarth until I was a young boy before my parents relocated to Winterhold to have closer access to the college. They taught there until their deaths.”

          'I was born close to here in Riverwood. Mother was the daughter of the lumber mill owner. Father was a traveling merchant in a caravan just passing through. He stayed long enough to learn my mother was expecting before running off with Grandfather’s horse.” Jonghyun paused to take a big bite of his apple, munching on it as he continued. “When I left I was on a mission to find my father. Never did catch up to him.” With a soft laugh, he shrugged. “He did have some 16 years of a head start.”

          “That’s rough man.”

          Jonghyun shrugged, hair falling into his face a little, curling slightly from the dampness of the humid air. He continued to eat his apple, watching Jinki roll out his bed mat in the corner. “What brings you this far south?”

          Jinki looked up from the scroll he was glancing over with a hum, “There were a few rare tomes in a secret room in Falkreath Hold.”

          “Is that the important business you have with the Archmage?”

          “Mmm, no.” Jinki grinned, “They’re for my own personal use. Can never know too many spells.”

          Once he was sure there was no more apple to be eaten, he tossed the core into the woven waste bin by the door, making it wiggle as the fruit spiraled into the container. He makes it over to the provided bowl of water to rinse off his face and hands before climbing back into bed. He’s wiggling under the covers for a moment, before settling all comfortable. He turns onto his side and softly says, “Listen, if you plan to kill me tonight at least let me sleep a few hours before doing so. Thanks.”

          There are quiet sounds of rustling and the clinking of coins before the floorboards can be heard squeaking. Then all sounds of movement stop and when he opens his eyes Jinki is curled up in his bedroll, trying to sleep. He wishes there was a window in this room. Traveling so much has given him a deep love of seeing the moon as he fell asleep. It was almost too difficult to fall asleep without all the extra light of stars above him.

—-

          As he slowly woke up he faintly heard the loud bustle of the inn for a moment before it was shut out once again. He squinted as he awoke and grumbled a little as he shifted onto his left side to look at the other man in the room. Jinki was slowly sitting on his bedroll, going through the bags in front of him that Jonghyun could swear weren’t there the night before. Just when he was about to ask what the man was doing, Jinki looked up with a little smile. “Good morning. You sleep like a bear.”

          “That’s a new one.” He groggily stated before smacking his mouth a little. “What time is it anyway?”

          “A little after sunrise.” Jinki was taking out food from the bags, going through them and seemingly organizing his things. “I hope you like fruit. I got enough for us until we hit the next big town.”

          “You get up super early?” When Jinki nodded Jonghyun frowned, covering his face with his pillow. His voice was muffled by the fabric when he continued. “No wonder I hate mages.”

          “You’re more than welcome to sleep more if you wish.” Jinki scuffed a little at the end. “I have to charm my bags anyway.”

          “Charm?”

          “Do you think I can just hold all this stuff in normal, untouched, bags?” Jinki snorted. “I’d like to not hurt my back carrying all that weight thanks.”

          “Mages are weird,” Jonghyun mumbled, sleep already pulling at his consciousness.

—-

          By the time Jonghyun woke up, ate something and got dressed in his armor, the mid-morning sun was almost at the highest point in the sky. He made sure his ax was secure on the back of his pack before putting his hands on his hips and turning toward Jinki. “Do you always have your hood up?”

          “Is your armor always that reflective?” He shot back quietly.

          “Metal usually is yes.” He squinted a little off to the right of him. “Shall we be off?”

          “Might as well.” Jinki grabbed his small pack from the ground and curled his fingers around his staff, which Jonghyun was sure he hadn’t seen the night before.

          The dirt crunched under their feet, some billowing up as dust in the air, as he asked, “Where’d the staff come from?”

          “My bag.”

          “Uh huh.”

          Jinki shook his head, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. “You don’t travel or encounter a lot of mages, do you?”

          “I try not to, honestly.”

          With a hum, Jinki responded. “You must have really wanted a room last night.”

          He paused long enough to give him a glance before continuing up the now cobblestone path. “Very.”

—-

          At the crossroads, Jonghyun glanced at the map in his hands before going around the post and into the woods. Jinki leaned to the left to peer at him and ask, “Where are you going?”

          Jonghyun didn’t even turn around or slow down as he called back. “Towards Whiterun. Aren’t you coming?”

          “You’ve gone off the path.”

          Finally, he paused, After putting his map back in the tube on his belt he turned to raise an eyebrow at the mage. “Yes, very perceptive of you. Brings me back to my question, are you coming?”

          Jinki bit his lip a few times before it popped out from his teeth and followed with a deep sigh. “If we get lost I’m throwing you off a cliff.”

          “Good thing we won’t get lost, huh?”

          He failed to notice Jinki’s nervous eyes flicking back and forth as they walked deeper into the woods.

—-

          “You are not stopping to pick flowers right now.”

          Jinki smiled as he pushed back his hood and kneeled to pick the flower. “I need some for my potions.”

          “No wonder it would take you forever to get to Winterhold.” Jonghyun leaned against the trunk of an old tree, arms crossed over his chest. “You’d stop for every different type of flower along the way.”

          After getting all the flowers he needed, Jinki picked the last one and placed it behind his ear. He kept his hood down for once and beamed when Jonghyun rolled his eyes at him. “You keep being all brash and rough. Flowers are pretty and delicate.”

          “Just like you light armor wearing spellcasters.”

          "Did you just call me pretty?" 

          Just when he was about to retort Jonghyun put a finger over his lips as his other hand reached to get his ax. “I hear something.”

          “Wha-” But then the first shot of webbing flew toward them. Both dodged it and it landed on a tree somewhere behind them. Jinki cursed under his breathe, fire forming around his fingers. “It just has to be a spider.”

          In a blur of movement, Jonghyun’s ax is being pulled from the back of the spider, liquid dripping from the blade. Jonghyun was wiping it off on the grass when a rush of heat and light rushed past him. He jumped back out of reflex, before relaxing. He placed his ax blade down and leaned on the bottom of the handle as he watched Jinki shoot a constant stream of fire at a clearing already dead spider. “I think it’s dead.”

          Jinki straightens, fire disappearing from his hands as he moves to wipe nonexistent wrinkles from his robes. He nods lightly and clears his throat. “I had to be sure.”

          “Uh huh.” He swings his ax onto his back and smiles, “Someone’s afraid of spiders.”

          “I am not.” Jinki tightly says as he walks around the dead spider in a wide arc. “I was verifying the kill.”

          “Uh huh, sure.” Jonghyun’s grin grew for a moment before he was yelling. “Shit, Another one!” His laughter erupted from his throat when Jinki proceeds to jump in various directions, shooting fireballs in random placements at the slightest movement. He pressed his lips together when he realizes Jonghyun was joking, snatching his bag from the ground near the flowers, and then going invisible. “Oh, come on it’s a joke.”

          Just then a flurry of ice falls on Jonghyun’s head out of nowhere and he presses his lips in a thin line before calling out, “Yes, got the message. No teasing about irrational fears.”

—-


	2. Chapter 2

             Jinki was leaning against a thick tree, arms crossed as he casually ate his papaya. He smiled, incredibly amused as Jonghyun struggled to start a fire as the setting sun was quickly disappearing on the horizon. “Do you need assistance?”

             Jonghyun glared up at him, grumbling as he wiped his forehead. “No, I got this.”

             “All you’re doing is making a scent that’ll keep the wildlife away.” He pushed off the tree as his hand fell from his lips, papaya still held in his grip. Flames appeared around his other hand, swirling around as he lifted it from his side. “Come on, it’s almost dark. You can redeem your pride tomorrow night, I promise.”

             Defeated, Jonghyun fell back into the leaves and dirt, glaring as he waved his hand for Jinki to continue. “Just, don’t burn everything down.”

             “Are you questioning my aim, Mr. Swing at everything and hope one of my strikes hit?” Jinki shot a little flame straight at the pile of dried leaves in the middle of the stones they collected as he sat down on the log he had found when they decided to stop for the night.

            “You weren’t complaining about how I fight back with the spider.”

            “I thought we agreed those gross things wouldn’t be discussed again.” It wasn’t a question, and with the flames still present in his palm. Jonghyun pressed his lips together and let the topic go. Then the fire was put out, and he worked on eating his piece of fruit.

           “Are mages vegetarian?” Jonghyun quietly asked after ripping off a piece of jerky.

           “Some, I would take a gander that they would be statistically,” Jinki hummed, “If you’re referring to myself, then no, I’m not.”

           “I’ve just never seen you eat meat.”

           “We’ve only known each other for three days Jonghyun.”

           “Mm, good point.”

            After a few more bites and wiping his mouth with a cloth from his bag Jinki quipped, “And you missed killing that hare.”

           “Well, I didn’t want you to burn it to a crisp!”

           Jinki sighed, focusing on the last bit of his fruit. “I do have other powers you know. I just prefer fire.”

          “Mm, don’t you all,” Jonghyun mumbled.

           He almost didn’t catch it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

           “Nothing.” Jonghyun moved to lay on his bedroll, chewing on his jerky and staring up at the sky. Jinki pressed his lips together before grabbing his book from his bag, raising his hand to produce a soft floating light, and quietly began to read. The quiet sounds of the woods as night completely fell were interrupted when Jonghyun spoke again. “I’d like to stop in Windhelm.”

          Jinki rose his gaze, finger brushing against the corner of the page he was reading. “Alright. It’s on the way.”

          “You aren’t going to ask why?”

          “I have no business to.” He hummed, closing the cover of the book with his right hand still flat against the pages to hold his place for the time being. “Do you wish me to?”

          Jonghyun was lifted up onto an elbow, turned onto his side, and the fire illuminated him as the flames flickered. “It delays your quest. I figured you’d want to know why to see if you deem it worth it.”

          Jinki laughed quietly, opening his book to continue reading as he commented, “We both know you don’t respect my opinion.”

          And he was right, so Jonghyun just pressed his lips together and rolled over to try and sleep. Jinki’s gaze lifted, watching his back for a moment as a frown pulled at his lips. He wasn’t sure what he had done for the warrior to dislike him, but he could feel the animosity coming toward him in waves. He hoped he could figure out why by the end of this.

—-

          “Good ole Whiterun.” Jonghyun softly stated as they walked through the big wooden doors.

          Jinki rose his hands to gently curl around his hood, pushing it back from the top of his head. The sun was high in the sky for such an early morning. “Let’s get supplies and move on. I want to make some more ground before nightfall.”

         “Can’t we just stay the night here?”

         “Why?”

          "I like sleeping in beds any chance I can.” Jonghyun gave him a goofy smile, “Besides, I want to explore the city. I basically grew up here.”

           Jinki squinted suspiciously. “I thought you said you grew up in Riverwood.”

          “I was born there yes, but Grandpa always rode up here when he wished to buy things the local merchants didn’t and I remember running these streets way past sunset.” Jonghyun hummed, “Like the sweet rolls Mama likes.”

           With a deep sigh, Jinki gave in. “Fine, but we’re leaving first thing in the morning.”

           Jonghyun was almost running toward the inn before he was even done speaking.

—-

            Dragonsreach, the castle of Whiterun’s Jarl, loomed before him as he made it over the last step. If he was correct, the court mage' quarters would be in the keep, and it would be nice to see if they had anything of interest to him for sale. The guards watched him closely as he walked further into the place, taking the steps and looking around. The Jarl wasn’t sitting on his throne, but after a quick survey, Jinki could see the mage in a room to the right. As he stepped into the rooms the woman raised her head, and she was quick to bow it again. “Archmage~ I wasn’t told you’d be visiting.”

            Jinki shook his hands with a kind smile. “No need for formalities my dear. I’m on my way back up to the College and thought I’d see what you have for sale. Maybe even ask you about your research.”

            “Oh- I.” The young girl nervously giggled. “Wow, the Archmage asking me about my research.”

            “I remember teaching you how to control your power when you learned how to produce flames.”

             She dipped her head, shy, and almost embarrassed. “I promise I still remember.”

             “You wouldn’t be the court mage if you weren’t qualified, my dear.” Jinki smiled softly, “Now about that research.”

—-

             He found Jonghyun by the fire in the inn sometime after the sun had set. By the looks of him and the sound of his voice, the man had at least a few ales in his system. After paying for his own room, a loaf of bread and a drink, he made his way over to sit across from him. Jonghyun squinted, trying to make out his form in the flames. When he recognized him his face bloomed almost. “Magey!”

            Okay, maybe more than a few. “It seems you’ve been enjoying your night Jonghyun.”

            “Mmmm maybe a bit too much, but,” He reached behind his back as if reaching for his ax that was no longer there. A pout formed on his lips. “I guess I left my ax in my room.”

            “What about your ax is so important you wish to tell me?” Jinki asked as he pulled off a piece of his bread loaf.

            “I sharpened it at the blacksmith.” His words were slurred, face flushed so easily seen even in the dim light of the inn. “Ssssso sharp.”

            “I think it’s time for you to get some rest.”

            “But I’m not done with my ale~”

            “You can take it with you.”

            “Can I?”

            “Yes.”

            “Will you mm help me to my room?” Jonghyun was permanently squinting. “This place is spinning. Did you know this place is spinning, Jinki?”

            “Mm, yes completely.” Jinki rolled his eyes before standing up. He downed his drink quickly and stuffed his bread into his bag. Once it was over his shoulder he rounded the firepit to hoist Jonghyun to his feet. The man clung to him desperately. “Where is your room?”

            “Mm, far one to the right of the bar.” Jonghyun softly explained, breath smelling of meat and old ale. “It has a red flower vase next to it.”

            Sure enough, there was, and as soon as the man had been laid in bed, Jinki tossed the blanket over him. “Try not to get sick everywhere. There’s a bucket under the bed.”

            “Mm, yes, bucket.”

            Jinki was just about to step out of the door when his eyes squeezed shut. He let out a frustrated breath before turning and slamming the door close. He pulled out his bedroll and leaned against the wall, getting his bread and canteen to eat. He couldn’t leave Jonghyun alone this drunk. Even being a slight asshole as he was, Jinki knew he’d never forgive himself if something happened to the poor bloke. He did, however, owe him his room fee.

—-

            In the morning Jonghyun’s head was pounding. He felt like he could hear smells at the point. Hearing the sound of wood scraping against wood he turned, a little panicked, only to see Jinki sitting at the small desk provided in the room eating his breakfast. “What the hell are you doing in my room?”

            Jinki didn’t even look up as he said, “Good morning to you too Jonghyun.”

            “You didn’t answer my question.”

            “That was a question?” Jinki finally glanced up, flipping a page in his book with his left hand as he ate with his right. “Sounded more like a demand to me.”

            “Jinki!”

            “Don’t yell at me.” Jinki calmly returned to his book. “You got drunk off your ass and against my better judgment I stayed to make sure you didn’t choke in your sleep.” After a moment he continued. “You’re welcome.”

            “Oh.”

            Jinki hummed, “Yeah, oh. Do you want breakfast? I’d eat it before it gets any colder.”

            It was then Jonghyun looked to his left, seeing the plate of food for him. After pressing his lips together, trying to forget how much of an ass he’s been, he wiggled to sit up against the headboard and began to eat. When he looked at Jinki again he noticed he didn’t have his robes on. “What the fuck.”

            “Hmm?”

            “Where are your robes?” Jonghyun’s nose scrunched up. “I feel like I’m seeing you naked.”

            Jinki snorted lightly. “I do own other things besides my robe. It’s just enchanted to help my powers.”

            “It’s… weird.”

            After closing his book and turning a little Jinki asked, amused, “It’s a heavy thing. I hate wearing it during the summer season.”

            “So… Weird.” He whispered. Jinki just laughed at him. Jonghyun tried to not look at his arms too long, but the thought of how a mage had such toned arms kept nagging at him.

—-

_3 weeks later_

            “Come on. It’s just one dwemer ruins.” Jonghyun almost whined, arm held out at the looming structure. “Think about the stuff that is inside this place and it looks completely untouched.”

            “I don’t doubt that it may be untouched,” Jinki’s gaze lowered back to Jonghyun’s face, “But, we both know that dwemer ruins are full of operational mechanicals. They’re also always forever long.”

            “There’s probably some type of long-forgotten book in there.” He tried to reason. “I may have only known you for a few weeks, but you’re a book enthusiast.”

            Jinki squinted at him, before sighing and moved to climb the staircase as he gathered his robes into his hands to prevent himself from stepping on it. Jonghyun beamed, the smile almost as big as his face as the mage grumbled. “You’re lucky I enjoy knowledge.”

            “Don’t get your skirt in a twist.” Jonghyun snorted when Jinki glared at him from his spot at the top of the stairs. “It is a skirt.”

            “It’s a robe.”

            “Uh huh.” A frown formed on his lips when he realized the front door of the place was locked. He turned, “Got any lockpicks?”

            “How do you not have any?”

            “Used too many on a chest when I was too drunk on ale to really see straight,” Jonghyun answered easily. “So, lockpicks?”

            Jinki rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket, laying the knife and lockpick for the man to use in the outstretched palm. “Don’t break it. That’s the only one you’re getting before we continue on our way.”

            “You sound like a mom.” Jonghyun laughed quietly to himself. “Scolding me for not lockpicking properly.”

            Before Jinki could retort, the lock clicked, and the ancient metal groaned as he pushed the door open. Inside was dark past the bit where the light from the sun shined through the open door. Jinki smiled as he waved Jonghyun through. “After you.”

            Pulling his ax from his back he grumbled, “What am I, your all-purpose meat shield?”

            “Basically.” Jinki softly replied, fire already swirling around his fingers as the magelight he created floated just before Jonghyun. “As you said, I’m soft.”

            The clanking of metal and the hissing of steam caused the banter between them to grow silent. Soon enough a Dwarven Sphere rolled from the shadows. Jonghyun was quick to block their attack against Jinki, pushing them back. He froze for a moment as Jinki’s flames shot past his ear, hitting the sphere dead center. After a few more hits the sphere crumbled into it’s various parts. After kicking through the pieces Jonghyun turned to Jinki, “Do you want any of this?”

            “Just the oil.”

            “The oil?” Jonghyun rummaged a bit more before curling his fingers around the circular contraption. “What do you need the oil for?”

            “Of course I want the oil,” Jinki grinned as the little container was handed to him. “It’s used for a lot of my more.. Useful potions.”

            “Do I even want to know what that means?”

            Jinki turned to search an adjacent room in an almost too dramatic swirl of his robes. “Probably not.”

—--

            The gem was deep blue and was cool to the touch in Jinki’s hands. He put it into his bag along with the history book he found and a few plants in the separate pouch. After they had found the large, domed room, they had split up to investigate the different rooms. The quiet of the ruins is shattered as the hissing of steam began. Gears roaring to life after centuries of being immobile. Slowly Jinki turned, to see Jonghyun standing in the middle of the larger room holding the sword that had been in the large contraption just to the right of him. He yells then, a little out of frustration, and to just be heard over the creaking of the newly awoken metal. “What did you do Jonghyun?”

            Jonghyun attempts to hide the sword in his hands behind his back, as he nervously says. “Pillaging?”

            Jinki whips around when he hears the crashing, and curses as the metal spider begun to attack him. Quickly, ice is shot, trying to slow the contraption down enough for him to get far enough away to hit them with something more powerful. He runs, full sprint until he’s a few steps from Jonghyun, looking around the room at the amassing foes. As the dozen or so dwemer protectors came closer Jinki hissed, “You just had to touch the sword.”

            “It was glowing!”

            “Number one rule of raiding ancient ruins,” Jinki growled, “Don’t touch the items that are glowing in the huge, domed ceiling room.”

            “Stop yapping at me and think of a plan.”

            “A plan?” Jinki exclaimed, baffled. “Why do I need to think of a plan?”

            “You’re the brains of this operation.” Jonghyun hissed.

            “Who pulls out a sword knowing it’s probably rigged WITHOUT A PLAN.” And then it sparked. “Stay close and don’t press out too far.”

            Jonghyun slowly stepped back until they were pressed against each other. He looked over his right shoulder, “What’s the plan?”

            “Hopefully these things don’t like lightning.” Jinki closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he felt the power fill him.

            “Well,” Jonghyun hummed, sounding slightly panicked. “Whatever you’re doing, I’d do it fast. They’re so close I can feel the steam.”

            He also felt his hair begin to rise on his arms and the back of his neck as sparks began to grow from Jinki’s hands. Just before he let the power go, he calmly stated, “I’d just like to remind you, this was your damn idea.”

            As the thunderstorm crackled and boomed from his fingertips, Jonghyun ducked his head and squeezed his eyes shut to avoid the bright light. And then the crackling stopped and all that could be heard was Jinki’s heavy breathing and the sound of metal collapsing. Nervously, Jonghyun rose his head, opening his eyes and his lips parted in surprise. Every single one of their attackers was in pieces, their parts in a circle about a foot away from them. His attention fell on Jinki, standing behind him. His eyes were open, hair blow into his face, and his hands were still smoking a little from where he had them raised. Jonghyun blinked rapidly. Impressed and slightly terrified of the man. “Could you do that this entire time?”

            “Yes,” Jinki ran his hands through his hair before brushing off his robes. He leaned down to rummage through the remains of the metal protectors. “What did you want me to do, shock a deer to death?”

            “Well, no, I just-” Jonghyun pressed his lips together. “You’re a lot more powerful than I pinned you as.”

            Jinki smirked, rising with another tiny container of oil. “I know.”

            “And you didn’t think to enlighten me?”

            He shrugged, moving onto the next to find oil. “I can create thunderstorms and walls of fire. Create giant ice creatures that protect me.”

            “Wait, what?”

            “Like a Frost Atronach.” Jinki gestured with his hands. “This big, little faces. Blue and made of ice.”

            “You could literally make an ice man and you let me get hit by Falmer and dwemer spheres all morning?”

            “I was helping you stroke your ego.” Jinki smiled over his shoulder, “It worked, didn’t it?”

            Jonghyun just grumbled as he moved to pick up his glowing sword.  It sure was pretty. Jinki shook his head and returned to the room he had been searching for when they had been attacked. There were a few mushrooms underneath the table where the soil had come up through the crack in the ancient stone floor. And then he saw the skid marks along the floor as if a door swung open. Curious, he searched for some type of rock to push, running his fingers over the stones of the wall. When he didn’t find one he took a step back and found the outline of the secret door.

            “What are you doing?”

            Jonghyun’s voice breaking the eerie silence made him jump, a curse flying from his lips. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

            “I jingle as I move.” To prove his point he shimmied a little. “Not my fault you were spaced out.”

            “To answer your question, I’m looking for what makes the secret door open.”

            “Secret door?” Jonghyun perked up.

            Jinki waved his hands in the general direction, brows furrowing as he focused his attention on other parts of the room. And then the torch on the wall caught his attention. The light was encased in woven metal, and for all intended purposes, it shouldn’t still be lit. Going on his hunch he curled his fingers around the lip and pulled, and sure enough, it slid down, causing the door to begin to swing open. Lights around the room began to flicker on as Jinki stepped in, hands raised just in case something appeared. Dwemer ruins were full of old, powerful traps. When nothing jumped out, he lowered his hands and gave the room a good look around. That’s when he saw it. The book was up on a pedestal, thick pages with a heavy duty binding. He ran his hand over the cover carefully, a huge smile forming on his face as he read the title. “Seems this little side quest of yours panned out well for me.”

            Told you there was some old, dusty book in here.”

            “Yeah, yeah.” Jinki wiggled it into his bag before shouldering it. “Let’s get out of here before you find something else that’ll really get us killed.”

            “I’m never living this down, am I?”

            “Nope.”

—–


	3. Chapter 3

              The river was calm, slowly moving through the twist and turns of the mountains. There wasn’t a bridge in sight on either horizon, which meant they had to walk until finding one or just swim across the river. Jinki wrinkled his nose as he moved towards the banks. They didn’t really have the time to just walk until there was a bridge and with the river as calm as it was crossing it shouldn’t be that much effort. The only thing he was not looking forward to, was the wet and slowly drying clothes. Especially since soon there would be snow falling. He was just about to step into the water when Jonghyun, sounding nervous, spoke from behind him. “Could we try to find a bridge?”

              Jinki turned, hand on his hip as he squinted in the sunlight beaming down on them. “It’s just a little water Jonghyun, and there’s no guarantee there is a bridge North of us.”

              “Please?” Jonghyun was rocking a little on his feet, trying not to look at Jinki in the eye. “I don’t know how to swim, okay?”

              He was in the middle of a deep laugh before he realized the man was serious. “Well Shit. Alright, we won’t swim, but we can’t look for a bridge.”

              “Then what do you propose we do, Jinki? It’s not like it’s frozen.”

              There was a glint in the mage’s eye and it worried Jonghyun for a moment. “Yet.”

              “Yet?”

              Jinki just grinned as blue frost swirled around his fingers and palms. “Just hold onto my robes, okay?”

              He could feel the anxiety rolling off Jonghyun in waves almost as the man stepped closer to him. His fingers curled tightly in the back of Jinki’s robes. Then the frost shot from his fingers, freezing the water of the river under them. “Is this safe?”

              “I don’t know. Never tried it.”

              “Jinki that-” But his voice stopped abruptly as he was forced to follow as his grip was tugged with Jinki’s movements over the freshly frozen water. “If I fall in I will climb on your lightweight ass to survive.”

              “Good to know you still don’t trust me.” Jinki quipped as the continued across the river. Soon they were stepping onto the other banks and the ice behind them began to melt as it was swept downstream. “You can let go now, Jonghyun.”

              Jonghyun’s gaze lifted to find Jinki’s face as he glanced over his left shoulder, soft white hair moving with the breeze, and then to his hand that was still tightly gripping his robes. Coughing roughly he quickly released him, looking at his feet in embarrassment. “Thanks for not making me swim.”

              “We all have our fears, Jonghyun. I can’t fault you for yours as if I don’t have some of my own.” Jinki hummed quietly before heading to find the dirt road a few feet away. “Are you coming?”

              Swallowing thickly he nodded, “Of course.”

\-----

                With the moon steadily rising above them, if Jonghyun hadn’t finally sparked a fire, Jinki would have had to intervene or freeze to death. Jonghyun made a little sound of happiness at his success, falling back from the growing flames onto his bottom with a big smile on his face. “Told you I could make fire.”

              “Took you long enough.” Jinki teased, moving to put the cast iron pan on top of the flames to heat the already slightly seasoned fish meat. “At least come mid sun tomorrow we should be in Windhelm.”

              “Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been within her walls.”

              “I’ve never been.” Jinki quietly comments.

              Jonghyun’s eyes were so big it was almost comical. “You’ve never been to the oldest city in Skyrim? Don’t you like history and stuff?”

              “I have had no reason to go within those walls. Until you requested it, I was going to by past it altogether.”

              His eyes had narrowed by then, squinting as he asked. “You support the Imperials, don’t you?”

              “I promise you that my avoidance of that city has nothing to do with my position on this civil war plaguing this land.” Jinki flipped the fish skillfully before quietly concluding, “Or my lack thereof.”

               “It’s odd that you have no stance Jinki.”

                "For the most part, I stay at the College completing my research. Every so often I venture out to meet with the mages of the various courts or to investigate a long-forgotten tome, but otherwise, I ignore the day to day grievances of your land.” Jinki looked over at him through the flames seriously. “One is just the puppet of the Thalamor and the other would see my head on a spike just for not being a Nord. I cannot condone either.”

                “The Thalamor are your people.”

                Jinki shook his head roughly. “A Thalamor killed my mother Jonghyun. My race maybe, but my people are the mages of the College.”

                Silence fell then, an awkward tension descending between them before Jonghyun spoke softly. “I’m sorry I insinuated Jinki.”

                “It’s quite alright. We both have our pasts.” He flashed a little smile, looking a lot younger than Jonghyun knew he was. “The fish is ready to eat.”

                Although Jinki continued to be kind and soft in conversation, Jonghyun still felt as if he had struck a chord in the usually calm and collected Mage.

\-----

              The sun wasn’t even fully above the mountains when Jonghyun was awoken to Jinki’s curses, the jumble of yelling and the sound of ice shattering against a target. “Honestly Jinki what in- Oh Fuck.”

              Jinki was currently hiding behind the thick trunk of the tree his bedroll had been laying in front of. His hair was in disarray, falling from the usual clips he used to keep it from his face. Jonghyun didn’t even work on getting his breastplate on as he grabbed his ax and pushed off the ground, using Jinki’s ice storm as cover to get close to him. The mage grimaced. “About time you woke up.”

              “I’m a heavy sleeper, what can I say?” Jonghyun’s grin widened when Jinki groaned. “So, what do we have?”

              “Three bandits. There are two archers in the far trees, and one with a sword waiting until he can get close enough to attempt to gut me.” Without looking he set another ice storm toward the bandits, lips pressed together in a thin line. “If I step from around this tree I’m going to get bum rushed.”

              “Can you make one of those mm ice men?”

              “Atronach? Yes.” Jinki squinted, “What are you thinking?”

              “They don’t know I’m here. Your spell has blocked their line of sight so,” Jonghyun whispered, “Send in the ice man. I’ll go around and get the archers.”

              Jinki, looking not the least bit convinced, sighed. He held out both of his hands and standing there was a seven foot tall humanoid of ice. Jonghyun had a split second of fear before he snapped out of it as Jinki mumbled. “Now would be a great time.”

              “Try not to get killed.” Jonghyun’s voice was soft and rushed as he slipped to the left around the tree.

              As he left Jinki’s eyes closed as he took a deep breath, before rolling to his left, ice spike already forming in his palm. “Alright, Nitwit, come get me.”

              “I sure do love killing mages.” The swordsman hissed as he blocked the ice atronach’s blow. Arrows were being lodged into the thick ice and Jinki hoped it held up until Jonghyun held his end of the bargain.

              Jinki smirked, power rising through his chest, eyes ablaze. The power was unleashed just as he said, “You’ve never fought the Archmage.” Even if his voice couldn’t be heard over the hiss of ice swirling through the air. The atronach stumbled a little but resisted most of the blow as the bandit flew and smacked harshly against the rock of the hill. He searched where he knew the archers to have been before, seeing one disposed of, but then he heard Jonghyun call out in what sounded like pain before the other archer was seen crumbling from a blow.

              Jonghyun’s white tunic was stained red as he stepped from behind the tree. His ax was held in his left hand, his right limp at his side because of the arrow sticking from that shoulder. He grimaced, forehead covered in a slight sheen of sweat. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s nothing.”

              “Are you going to let me at least take it out for you before you play all macho?” Jinki asked eyebrow raised. He was trying really hard not to show how concerned he was for the man.

              Softening, he admitted, “Okay, maybe it might hurt like a bitch.”

              He was helping Jonghyun sit near their camp when he gently asked, “Can I heal you?” It was the first time in their short time as companions that he had asked to use his magic directly on Jonghyun. He wasn’t quite sure how it would be taken.

              Jonghyun’s head whipped up to look at him, only for him to hiss as it moved his shoulder. “I’ve never been healed with magic.”

              “If we dress it, you won’t be able to swing your ax, let alone wear your armor.” Jinki scowled. “It could get infected.”

              With a deep sigh, he waved his left hand, gesturing him to go on. “I forgot how much arrows hurt.”

              “At least it’s fully through you.” Jinki reached up and peeled some back from the trunk before handing it to Jonghyun with a small smile. “I’d bite on that.”

              He slowly placed it between his teeth, attempting to speak, “What why d-” And then Jinki was breaking the arrow in half and ripping it from his shoulder. His jaw clenched tightly, almost painfully, as he bit on the bark with a muffled groan. The bloody pieces of arrow were tossed into the grass and Jinki’s hands were held one on either side of the wound.

              “Every Mage has a different signature with their magic. I’d like to think mine is.. Calm. It’ll hurt for a moment and you might be disoriented with flesh repairing itself.” Jinki studied his features, “Ready?”

              He took a deep breath and nodded. Jinki’s magic descended over him and there was a split second of pain, but then the warmth and tranquility fell over him. Jinki had been right to say his magic signature was calm. He wasn’t going to tell him that though. As Jinki stepped back and his magic went with him, Jonghyun rolled his shoulder experimentally. With the pain all the way gone, he smiled shyly up at Jinki. “Thank you.”

            “I’m not all fire and destruction.” Was Jinki's soft reply, the man already moving to get his things together to depart for Windhelm. “I’d eat something before you do anything else. You may be woozy.”

              Before he could really move an apple was being tossed into his lap. He could see Jinki was smiling from under his falling hair as he bent down to look in his pack.

\-----

              The ancient stone walls loomed before them. Jinki seemed increasingly uncomfortable as they got closer to the open gates of the city. The sun was beating down, even with the small flurry falling around them. Jonghyun went to speak with the blacksmith about the sword he acquired in the Dwemer ruins and to repair his ax, leaving Jinki to his own devices. He thought about possibly going and getting them a room in the inn, but he had heard stories from a dark elf mage back at the college of the way the people here treated non-Nord species and wasn’t quite ready to deal with that if Jonghyun wasn’t there as a buffer of some sort.

              Instead, he saw a dark elf in his peripheral and decided to inquire about a friendly merchant to sell to. The woman took one look at him and smiled knowingly. “There’s a shop in the Dark Quarter that’ll buy whatever you have to sell and a place for a drink if you don’t feel welcome in Candlehearth.”

              He smiled softly. “How’d you know?”

              "Even I who has lived here most of my life rarely feel welcome in the marketplace or that Inn. You have that look about you.” She smiled, “I can show you if you’d like.”

              “I would greatly appreciate that. Thank you.”

\----

              Jonghyun was sitting on the steps in front of Candlehearth inn when Jinki stepped from around the corner. He looked positively exasperated. “Where have you been? I thought you’d have gotten a room.”

              “I was having a drink in the Dark Quarter.” He replied easily.

              “The Dark Quarter?” Jonghyun wrinkled his nose. “That place has only gotten worse. Repairs never seem to happen.”

              “And they probably never will.” Jinki softly stated as the doors to the inn opened and the sound from inside caused Jonghyun not to hear his words.

              “What was that?”

              “Nothing,” He flashed a smile before gesturing toward the doors. “After you?”

               Jonghyun eyed him suspiciously before getting up off the cold ground. “I got a room. There was only one available.”

              Jinki followed without comment, eyes flicking to the patrons of the inn from under his hood. Jonghyun stopped at the last door on the left of the hallway, quickly twisting the key into the lock. “I’ll take the floor. You should rest well with it being your first time being healed with magic.”

              “Don’t be so ridiculous.” Jonghyun huffed, “It’s a double bed. As long as you aren’t a clinger, we can share. Besides, the last time we had a room you slept on a bedroll to make sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit. If anything you should have the bed.”

              “I don’t know, you drool.” Jinki teased, his mood lightening a bit being in their room.

              “Oh shut up.” Jonghyun was smiling though. “Get settled and I’ll go get us dinner.”

              “And bread... If they have some.”

              “Best part of an Inn beside the bed is, the bread.” He slipped from the room then and Jinki exhaled roughly. If he could spend the next 12 hours or so locked up in this room, he’d be all the more content. The man who had threatened the woman he was with for just walking kept flashing in his consciousness. He had almost burnt the man to a crisp just out of disgust, but he didn’t need to get arrested in a city such as this. He wasn’t even sure now if Jonghyun would have even bothered to stick up for him if he had.

              He took the time of Jonghyun going to get them dinner to change out of his robes. While the thickness of the garment was great for the cold, unforgiving landscape of Winterhold, in a well-heated inn it was almost sweltering. He tied his hair up into a tiny ponytail with a piece of ribbon he found and sat at the small table provided with the room. When Jonghyun returned Jinki expected him to have ale or mead to drink, but he had some type of fruit juice for the both of them. He flashed a little grin. “I figured a sober night would do us good.”

              After taking a small sip Jinki ventured to ask, “So, are you afraid of the water?”

              Jonghyun groaned around his spoon, chewing his stew and swallowing before whining, “I thought we weren’t going to talk about that.”

              “You know my fear of spiders. It’s only fair.” He commented, stirring his own stew slowly.

              “Not the water per say, just drowning in it from my lack of swimming knowledge.” Jonghyun swallowed thickly, tongue running over his lips. More often than not he was noticing the attractiveness of the other. With his hair from his face, his jaw could be seen easily. The swell of his cheeks and the deepness of his eyes. Such a pretty color too. “Thanks again for not forcing me.”

              “With all that armor without knowing how to swim, you’d have sunk to the bottom like a rock.” Jinki smiled over the rim of his bowl as he lifted it to drink some of the broth. “You protected me from the Spiders. I’ll protect you from the depths of water.”

              Jinki was such a compelling mystery wrapped up in a nice little package. Jonghyun could tell he was more than just a simple mage, that he had a dark past just by the scars he could see from the open collar of his simple shirt and the rolled up sleeves, but he couldn’t make himself ask. One’s past was theirs to share if they desired. He knew first hand how guarded one could be with it. “What side do you want?”

              “Hmm?” Jinki’s eyes flicked to the loaf of bread between them as if asking if that’s what he was referring to.

              Jonghyun snorted, “I meant the bed Jinki.”

              "Oh.” His cheeks were a cute shade of pink as his lips softly formed the word. He then mumbled, looking at his stew. He was almost cute. "Doesn't matter." 


	4. Chapter 4

           Jinki insisted he really did not care which side of the bed he took. In response, Jonghyun slipped off his shirt and boots and plopped directly in the middle of it, smothering the pillows with his face. He shifted, turning his head to rest his left cheek on the pillow and smiled over at Jinki who was standing near the end of the bed completely dumbfounded. “That is surely not what I meant.”

           “You can pick either side of me.”

            “Uh huh.” Jinki pulled the pins that kept his hair from his face, laying them on the table. He sat on the edge, hand brushing against Jonghyun’s for just a moment before he was pushing his bare side with both hands, moving him to the far side of the bed. Jonghyun huffed, playfully annoyed at the action, as he glared. Jinki grinned as he wiggled under the blankets, grabbing his pillow Jonghyun had taken hostage and smacked him upside the head softly. “Now just don’t be selfish with the blankets and I won’t have to push you off the bed.”

           Jonghyun scoffed, “Why does it have to me being selfish with the blankets?”

           “You get colder than I do.” Jinki softly replied. Jonghyun’s facial expression softened as he gazed at the back of Jinki’s head. He was absentmindedly looking at the way the blankets had fallen on the body line of him when candles around the room were put out. “Goodnight Jonghyun.”

           He coughed, suddenly realizing he was just practically checking the man out, and turned so his back was towards him. As if it being pitch dark wasn’t enough to cut him from his vision. “Goodnight.”

\-----

            In the morning Jinki seems on edge as if in a rush to get out of the city. Jonghyun follows him as he walks around the room with his eyes, munching on the apple he was eating for breakfast. Jinki was wearing his robe again and their extra furs were laid out on the table for when the headed. The snow would only get worse the more north they traveled. Jonghyun had a lot to do before he was ready to leave, primarily being putting on his armor, which was a big task all on its own. Just as he took a huge bite of his apple Jinki turned arms up above his head fixing his hair. He had a deep frown present on his face. “Why aren’t you getting ready?”

           “We’ve never left in such a rush as this before.” He commented, words muffled as he fought to chew his apple and speak at the same time.

           Jinki pressed his lips together, arms falling as he finished putting his hair back. He huffed but said nothing else. Curious, Jonghyun quickly finished his apple and moved to get his things together, and then getting ready. He was slightly worried about the mage. He was usually calm and collected, in control of any sort of outward emotions, or at least that’s how he was the last few months Jonghyun had traveled with him. He wondered what could have occurred since last night for him to be acting in such a weird way. As they walked out of the hall there was a man in ragged clothing sitting on one of the bar chairs. He sneered as Jinki walked passed, and Jonghyun didn’t miss the way he instinctively pulled the hood of his robes up over his head.

           It wasn’t until the snow was crunching under their boots, turning to the right from the bridge of the city to head up to Winterhold, that he spoke about it. “What has you so frayed around the edges?”

           Casting a sideways look, snow slowly falling between them, Jinki hummed, increasing the speed of his steps to walk ahead of him a few paces. “It’s nothing.”

           “Awh come on.” Jonghyun huffed slightly as he worked to catch up. “Something is bothering you. You wanted to get out of that city. Why?”

           “The city wanted me out.” Jinki quips, creating fire in his hands to warm them through his gloves.

           “What?”

           At that Jinki laughed, mockingly. “That entire city hates me for my race Jonghyun. I was uncomfortable from the moment we walked in there.”

           “Is that why you put your hood up when that man sneered at you?”

           Jinki sighed, but the movement and the sound were masked by the furs and the wind billowing around them. Then he stopped, startling Jonghyun slightly. Jonghyun turned to have the wind at his back as he watched Jinki lift the sleeve of his robe and push down his gloves just a little. The bruise was vibrant against the color of Jinki’s skin. “You don’t get it.”

           “Who did this to you?”

           “The man who sneered at me.” Jinki quietly replied, covering it up as quickly as he showed it. “He wanted to put me in my place when I went to the market this morning to get a few things.”

           “Why didn’t you fight back?” Jonghyun asked, frustrated, “Or told a guard?”

           “The guards do not care. If they did they wouldn’t allow the abuse that happens in what they call the Gray Quarter.” Jinki smiles, almost sadly. “And I’m not even quite sure if you’d even come looking for me if I had not returned, or believed me when I said anything. I’d just be an elf burning things to the ground. Killing an unarmed man.”

            “Jinki-”

           “Forget it, okay?” He gave a hopeful smile, but it didn’t reflect in his eyes. “We have a lot of ground to make and the snow will slow us down considerably.”

           Jonghyun swallowed thickly as Jinki continued to walk on then, his own feelings about mages making guilt churn in his stomach uncomfortably.

\-----

            Jonghyun wasn’t taking to the cold as well as they had hoped. Even with his extra furs around him, he was shivering. He had ignored Jinki’s soft concerns for some time now, but his hand was shaking, his lips having a frost over them and slightly blue, as he went to drink, and Jinki knew he had to find shelter before Jonghyun was seriously hurt. He knew there to be caves in the mountains to their left. He pressed his lips together, making the decision without bringing it up Jonghyun at all. When he turned to the left and strayed off the path Jonghyun looked up from his feet, confused. He followed primarily out of curiosity, wanting to see what the mage was up to, but also out of the feeling to protect him. When he steps into the cave after him, his curiosity only increases. Before he can ask anything Jinki’s eyes are meeting his and only one word comes from his lips. “Sit.”

           Hesitantly, he does so, finding a large rock to carefully rest against. Jinki moved to face the cave opening. His hood fell from his head, fulls falling from his shoulders as he moves his arms in wide movements, and then there’s a flash of warm light and the wind and snow from the blizzard stops. Jonghyun blinks rapidly, jaw-dropping as he realizes that the snowflakes are whipping against the orange barrier and stop, not coming into the cave. Jinki’s smile is almost blinding as he turns. “What are we doing?”

           “Making camp.”

            “But it’s not even midday.”

           “You can’t handle anymore.” Jinki simply says, depositing his furs and bag further into the cave, and moving around the dimly lit cave using the light from the floating orb over his head. He was gathering twigs and other burnable things and Jonghyun realized he was collecting things for a fire.

           “I’m perfectly fit to continue the trek Jinki.” Even as he said the words his fingers and toes ached, a dull pain traveling up his limbs, and his teeth chattered slightly.

           “I know physically you can handle walking much farther distances,” Jinki looked over at him from through his lashes as he kneeled making the fire. “However, I suspect that much longer in this blizzard that’s going to get far worse mind you, you might lose a few fingers. Can’t really swing an ax that well without those, can you?”

           “M’m fine.”

           Jinki tossed his furs over on his feet. “Warm yourself up.”

           “But you-”

           “I can keep myself warmer with magic.” Jinki fussed with the stones he was using to make a pit. “Just use the damn furs Jonghyun.”

           Grumbling quietly Jonghyun did as he was told to, collecting the man’s furs into his hands and laying one over his lap and curling his hands into the warmth. He watched curiously as Jinki set the fire quickly, the blaze tall and warm. Then the bedroll was laid out just to the left. “Undress.”

           At the sudden order, Jonghyun bristled. “Excuse me I require dinner and some ale before I give a show to someone Jinki.”

           He expected a witty comeback, a glare, or even a scuff, but the pink painting Jinki’s features was not expected at all. “I can’t heal any frost damage with your armor on. I can keep you warmer without it.”

           “Alright.” He was too embarrassed to pay much attention to Jinki as he undid his armor. He shivered, wrapping his cloak around himself as the cold air around them penetrated the thin cloth of his underclothes.

           “Oh, Jonghyun.” Jinki breathed, taking his hand into his warm ones. “Does this hurt?”

           “A little.” He admitted quietly.

           “Sit, allow me to heal you?”

           He trusted Jinki then, knowing the mage didn’t have to do any of this at all, especially with how he was treated in Windhelm. As he sat on the bedroll, Jinki’s thick fur cloak around his shoulders, he felt the warmth and crispness of Jinki’s magic running through him. His hands were healed first, each one separately held in both of Jinki’s hands as he healed them.    Then his feet were healed. Even with the warmth of the fire making the warded off cave warmer and the cloak, Jonghyun still shivered harshly. Jinki frowned, a thought popping into his mind to help that he was sure he’d either fail to ask or one Jonghyun would refuse. “What are you thinking about?”

           “Hmm?”

           The right corner of Jonghyun’s lips was curved up as he softly gazed at him. “You were rummaging in your bag for something and just froze. I’m quite sure that far wall isn’t that interesting.”

           “Oh,” Jinki dipped his head, pink dusted on his cheeks, before sighing. “I was thinking of ways to help warm you up further is all.”

           “And?”

           “It’d involve me getting into that bedroll with you.” Jinki cleared his throat, nervous. “My body heat and being that close… but I know it’s a stupid idea.”

           “No, it’s not if you really think it’ll help me stop shivering like this.” Jinki’s eyes squinted a little as he studied the man, before figuring out he was being honest. The surprised apparently was vivid on his features as Jonghyun laughed. “Thought I’d refuse?”

           “Completely.” Jonghyun hummed, laying the cloak in a neat pile near the bedroll and then slipping it. He watched Jinki pull his robes off, take the pins from his hair, and slip off his boots. He folded his robes and Jonghyun wondered if he was stalling for some unknown reason. But then he was coming closer, looking unsure with it all, before slipping it after him. He tugged the cloak over them, making sure Jonghyun was the closest to the fire. He wiggled his arm under Jonghyun’s head. It was odd, being this close to Jinki for the first time. It was the first time he had noticed how many freckles he actually had. “Are you comfortable?”

           “Yes.” Jonghyun stared at Jinki’s adams apple bob as he swallowed, feeling the other arm of the man falling over his waist to hold him close. He was warmer, heat traveling over him far more than just being this close to Jinki would give. “Thank you.”

           When he looked up at him Jinki was smiling easily, eyes dipped down to look at him. “I couldn’t let you suffer from something I had every power to fix. Relax. I can feel how tense you are.”

           If he only knew the real reason. And it wasn’t the cold.

\-----

           Even after the harm was healed and he was warm, no longer shivering, Jinki was adamant about staying in the cave to wait out the worst of the blizzard. Currently, he was cooking dinner, some type of stew from the ingredients he had in his pack. It had no meat in it, but that was no bother. Jonghyun had been fighting thoughts of how to bring up his conflicting feelings about going to the College of Winterhold, his reservations about mages in general, ever since Jinki had shown him that bruise and fully believed he wouldn’t have helped him if he had gotten into trouble. He knew he needed to, but even as he wrapped the cloak tighter around him and opened his mouth to speak, he didn’t want to. “Hey, Jinki?”

           Jinki hums without looking up from the stew. “Hmm?”

           “I need to... Tell you something.” Jonghyun swallowed thickly, eyes squeezing shut for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about it since you showed me your bruise.”

            “Oh?” The mention of his bruise caught Jinki’s attention quickly. He sat back against the stone he was resting by. “What of it?”

           “I once told you the only person I had left was my mother, that my father left before I was born.” Jinki nodded in understanding, focusing on him with all his attention as if he knew how important this was. “That isn’t quite true. Not completely. The man who created me did leave, but the man I thought of my Father died when I was six. A mage killed him right in front of me. My mother met him when he came to work at the lumber mill, to help my grandfather with the more physical aspects. They fell in love and he was everything a good man should be. He never made me feel like a bastard like I was. I was his, never let me forget it. The mage wanted extra money when we were sitting by the fire late one night. He was reading a bedtime story to me. I had some type of nightmare and we were out there to prevent my mother from waking up. I ran to hide when he went to get the money we had, but it’s hard to fight against fire with a knife.” He takes a shuddering breath, fingers twitching a little on the cloak he was holding around himself. He couldn’t look at Jinki as he finished his story with a weak voice. “He was burnt to the point of it being impossible to identify him before he could even take a step. I can still smell the scent of burning flesh. Ever since that day I’ve despised mages.”

           When he finally has the courage to look up it hurts. Jinki isn’t looking at him anymore, instead focusing on the dirt he was moving around with a stick. Jinki’s voice is distant, guarded as he finally looks up and tosses the stick into the fire. “Consider your end of the deal complete then. I apologize for making you travel with me all these months, for.. Believing you to be my friend. I’ll have a payment ready for your trouble in the morning. Excuse me.”

           Before Jonghyun can process what he’s said, Jinki’s pushing off the ground, walking through the barrier in just his simple clothes. Dread crashes into Jonghyun then. While they had had their differences, times of bickering and disagreements, even with his original reservations he had learned to enjoy Jinki’s company. Now he knew deep down he had lost his… friend. Yes, Jinki was his friend. A friend he had just deeply hurt. He swallowed thickly and moved to take over looking over the stew. Time passed almost too slowly as he took turns looking at the stew and through the barrier for signs of Jinki. After a while, he got worried and pushed off the ground to go look for him. It took him a moment to see him through the whipping winds and snow, but he tightened his grip on the cloak and headed toward the man where he stood on the cliff to his left.

           Jinki doesn’t look over at him as he falls in line, screaming over the wind. “What are you doing?”

           He closes his eyes for a moment before smiling a little. “I’ve missed the snow.” He looks over and his eyes aren’t really looking at him, glazed over almost. “You should be inside where it’s warmer.”

           “You didn’t come back and the stew is ready.”

           “You almost sound like you care for my well being.” Jinki hums, turning and heading back. “Come. No need for you to get frostbite again. I doubt you’d be comfortable with me healing you again.”

           When they return to the cave they eat in an awkward, tense silence. Once finished and cleaned up, Jinki goes to his bedroll and turns his back toward Jonghyun with a soft goodnight. Jonghyun stares at his back for a long time, confusing emotions running through his head. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes to cut the connection and tried to sleep. Hopefully, by morning he could explain to Jinki he hadn’t meant him when he said he despised mages.

\-----

           When he wakes up it's to the sound of metal scraping against metal and the soft mutterings of Jinki. Squinting a little in the sudden rush of bright light from the fire, he rolls over with a soft groan. When his vision finally focuses, Jinki is making breakfast. His things are already packed up against the wall and he doesn’t fail to notice the coin purse sitting outside of it. When he begins to get up Jinki finally takes notice and looks over. He has a sad look in his eyes, dejected almost. “I wanted to be gone before you woke up, but I miscalculated my time I see.”

           He pushes up fully, sighing as he took a chance. “When I said I hated mages.. I didn’t mean you.”

           “That’s like saying you hate carrots and have for years, but randomly picking up a certain one and only liking that one,” Jinki comments quietly. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m very much a mage. It’s the very fiber of my being Jonghyun. I am included in such a clear and broad statement of your hatred Jonghyun.”

           “I do… did hate you at first.” Jonghyun pressed his lips together, “When we first met I hated what you were, what you stood for, but you were the first mage I had talked to for longer than a moment. I don’t hate you now. I don’t wish to be out of our agreement, I’d like to consider you a friend Jinki.”

           “I always thought we were.” Jinki then softly admits. It’s a moment, feeling so long and slow before he continues. “While I understand where such a strong feeling could be created and held for mages from such a traumatic event, I thought-”

           When he stops abruptly, Jonghyun’s stomach drops. “Please finish.”

           Jinki looks so hurt looking at him. “Having people hate me for my race, for being a high elf, is one thing. It’s something I cannot change. It’s who I am. I have no control over that, but this? Being a mage? I chose that. This is how I chose to represent myself, how to live my life. I thought for once, just once, I had found someone who cared about me. Truly cared about me. Looking through the misconceptions mages get and seeing I’m more than the fire I can create. I should have realized this was all just apart of the deal and wrapped in fear.”

           The realization of just how he had crushed Jinki made Jonghyun want to curl in on himself. “Jinki..”

           “Forget it, okay?” The familiar ring of the words he had hurt just a few days ago echoes in Jonghyun’s mind. “If you wish to fulfill the deal we should get going soon. There’s about a half day left before we get there and we should go before the blizzard picks up again.”

\----

            Ever since they had left the cave Jinki was purposefully walking a few paces ahead of him, almost ignoring him. Frustration was slowly building in Jonghyun and without thinking he ran, slipping in front of Jinki and stopping. Jinki squints, peering from under his cloak as he hollers over the wind. “What in all hells are you doing?”

            “I am not moving until you aren’t mad at me anymore.”

           “I’m not mad at you.” Jinki easily confesses, crossing his arms. “I’m upset. I’m hurt. There’s a difference.”

           “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry Jinki. I never should have hated you before getting to know you. You’re a very kind and sweet person.” Jonghyun roughly grabs his shoulders when Jinki tries to walk around him. “You’ve done nothing in these past few months to reinforce my notions about mages. You’ve saved my life so many times. You’re my friend.”

           “How long?”

            The sudden question gives Jonghyun pause, “What?”

            “How long did it take for you to realize I’m not a murdering, zealous criminal?”

            “Jinki…”

           Jonghyun can see the anger flaring in the man, the heat of his gaze. “I have my secrets and things in my past I’d rather keep there, but I’d never harm an innocent man. I’ve never killed another living being unless out of defense and yet you painted me like I was the one who killed your father before you even knew my name. I am powerful, but I do not use it for the harm of others. I am more than my powers Jonghyun.”

           “I know. I know that. I’m not asking you to forgive me quickly, just to give me a chance to make it up to you.” When Jinki looks away Jonghyun softly grabs his chin, making his gaze meet his own again. “You like reading about history and you like picking flowers even if you have no use for them. You like the snow and the stars in the night sky. Your favorite fruit is snowberries and if you could you’d never have to drink anything but your fancy elven wine that’s way too sweet and I’ve told you that and yet you still share it with me. Please.”

           Jinki softens then and his lips move with his mutterings, but the words can’t be heard. He repeats himself when Jonghyun prompts him. “I never told you my favorite fruit was snowberries.”

           Jonghyun softly smiled. “You didn’t have to.”

           Their eye contact is broken as Jinki looks away, chewing his bottom lip and Jonghyun knows he’s thinking about all that’s been said. When he looks up again he smiles a little. “When we get to Winterhold you can stay at the inn if you wish to not go into the college.”

            Jonghyun beams, because he knows Jinki is giving him a second chance. “Maybe you could show me around first… and then I’ll decide.”

           They stand there, smiling softly for a moment before Jinki’s eyebrow twitches up as he smirks. “Are you going to get out of my way or are we both going to freeze out here?”

           “Oh yeah right yeah.”

           Jinki’s soft laughter can’t be heard over the wind, but it didn’t need to be for Jonghyun to know he was. His eyes were moving into crescents, wrinkles at the corner as he moved around him. He wasn’t sure what awaited him in Winterhold, or after, but he felt calm knowing Jinki was his friend again.

\-----

 


	5. Chapter 5

              The snow was beginning to lighten up as they stepped into the boundaries of Winterhold. There were guards walking through the snow-covered streets as well as a few civilians. It was a small town Jonghyun noticed. Very few intact buildings from the looks of things. A guard passed them mumbling something he couldn’t hear but from the expression change of Jinki’s he knew he had. “What did he say?”

               “Oh, no bother. The people of this town and the College have a rocky relationship.” He smiled softly, gesturing further into the town toward the looming building that was the College. “If you’re still up for a tour.”

               He nodded gently, following the mage toward the long bridge leading to the College. There was a mage standing guard at the base, but they nodded their head as Jinki approached. Before Jonghyun could question Jinki was walking past them. “Who was that?”

               “Oh, Yixing.”

               “Why was he waiting down there?”

               “We don’t just let anyone into the College, Jonghyun. The only reason you were allowed is that you were with me.” Jinki stopped abruptly, “Watch your step here. The bridge is crumbled.”

               Eyeing it nervously as they crossed the bit of bridge he asked, “Shouldn’t you fix that?”

               “It’s on the Archmage’s list.” The big metal doors before them swung open by themselves and Jonghyun stared at them the entire time it took for them to walk into the big open courtyard. “To your left is the Hall of Attainment, where the Novices and Apprentices quarters are. To your right is the Hall of Countenance, where the mages who’ve mastered their selective school of magic resides. Just ahead is the Hall of the Elements. Come. There’s much to see.”

               As they walked out into the open courtyard more Jinki shifted to walk on his right. It was when Jonghyun saw the two dark elf mages standing near the statue. By moving Jinki had put himself between them and him. The large wooden doors were pushed open with ease and Jinki smiled as he pushed down his hood once again. Jonghyun sighed. “You have no idea how pleased I am to be out of that darn snow.”

               “Just a few moments and you’ll have somewhere to rest I promise.” Jinki gestured to the right with his palm up and fingers open. “Over there is the Arcanaeum. You could think of it as a library. In the room straight ahead is where lessons and training are given most of the time, and to the left is the Archmage’s quarters.”

               Jinki stepped toward the left, bringing out a key that was on a piece of twine around his neck. As he slid it into the lock of the Archmage’s quarters Jonghyun asked quietly, “You have a key?”

               “Am I not supposed to have a key to my own quarters?”

               “But-”

               He slipped through the open door, turning slightly to warn, “Watch your step. It’s a little dark up the steps.”

               “Jinki this is absurd. You said you had business with the Archmage, not that you WERE the Archmage.”

               “Mm, yes. I didn’t lie to you Jonghyun. I do have business with the Archmage. It just so happens that means with myself,” The dim light of the steps opened up to a bright corridor. Jonghyun followed him slightly annoyed before all negative emotions drained out of him at the sight before him. “I didn’t tell you I was Archmage because it’s not something I willingly give out to strangers and given your, mm, prior feelings towards mages it seems it was a good idea. Anyway, please make yourself at home. Anything that is mine is yours.”

               “Jinki this is…” The room was circular. In the middle was a garden full of different plants and herbs. A few mage lights floated above it, illuminated it in a mystical light. To the right were an enchanting table and an assortment of soul gems. Glancing to his left there was an alchemy table and shelves full of any ingredient an alchemist could dream of. As if in a daze, he moved slowly, walking around the circumference of the room starting to the left. Around the only wall that bisected the room at all there were apples and wine, and then he ran into the King sized bed against what was the very far side of the room. Brows furrowed he spotted Jinki coming around in front of him. “Are you rich?”

               “No,” A deep, throaty laugh left his lips before he grew serious. His hands were on his hips, head cocked to the side sightly. “What makes you ask such a ridiculous question?”

               “Um,” He gestured wildly to the space around him. “Have you SEEN where you live?”

               “Most of this comes with the room when you’re given the mantle of Archmage. Very few of the things in here are my personal belongings.” Jinki laid down his bag in the chair to the right of him, rummaging for a few moments before straightening with a smaller brown bag in his hands. “I must go speak with my Master Wizard Kibum, but please make yourself at home. You’re safe here. No one will bother you as long as you stay in this room.”

               With a kind smile, he turned and left. Jonghyun heard the distant sound of the door closing behind him. He pressed his lips together as he looked around before huffing. “What does one nonmagic folk do in a room full of magical things?”

               He decided that one would take a nap, afraid he’d touch something and make an explosion on accident. The majority of the things in the room he hadn’t seen before and he didn’t want to blow things up and have to explain how it happened to Jinki with their relationship already half rocky, to begin with now. Carefully he took his armor off, laying it in a neat pile by the wardrobes straight ahead to the right of the bed. He didn’t want to pry into Jinki’s personal belongings, so until he returned to give him permission to use the wardrobes, his armor was content being laid upon the floor.

               The bed was comfortable and smelled like Jinki. The thought of how it could with the time the man spent away from the piece of furniture passed through his mind. Jonghyun nuzzled his face into one of the pillows and got comfortable. It wasn’t long before sleep pulled at him.

\-----

               A few hours later Jinki returned. Kibum had begun the research he requested, taking the tomes he had acquired to begin reading them as soon as he could. In his hands was a tray of cheeses and nuts. He figured as hungry as he was, Jonghyun had to be too. He bowed his head to the mages he ran into, but never stopped to talk with any of them. Soon enough he was walking under the huge arch leading into his room. He headed for the table next to his wardrobes to the right. “Hey, Jonghyun I have-”

               And then he saw Jonghyun curled up on his bed, and his voice softened slowly into silence. The food was pushed onto the table as quietly as possible. After removing his robes and folding them to place them on the chest directly to his right, he redid his pins in his hair. He then pulled on his simple, floor length robe that tied around the waist. He needed to have his enchanted robes cleaned soon. He thought about reading a book to place the time or working in his garden, but he decided to play around for a bit. Frost began to swirl around his fingers as he grinned. Moving his arms slowly, snow began to fall around him. It tingled when it touched his skin, but it wasn’t cold. As it fell on the ground it disappeared completely. He giggled softly as he twirled, more snow falling as he did.

               He was so caught up in his magic and being free, that he hadn’t heard the bed creak softly, or the sound of gentle footsteps padding against the stone. It wasn’t until he heard the sneeze that he froze, whipping around to see Jonghyun just in the opening of the right archway. A flake of snow fell against his nose and he sneezes again. He stumbles back, the sneeze too powerful for him to stay upright. Jinki blinks, softening even more at how small Jonghyun looks without all his armor. The pout on the man’s face is adorable and Jinki wonders what this new warmth spreading from his chest is.

               “Do you have any food in this place beside the apples?” Jonghyun asks after giving a shy smile.

               “There’s cheese and bread on the table there.” The warmth in his chest increases in the way Jonghyun quickly looks over, happiness blooming across his features. “The bread should still be warm.”

               Jonghyun groans deeply with the first bit of cheese hits his tongue, falling into the wooden chair that faces Jinki. Another piece is popped in quickly after with another satisfying groan. “It’s so good Jinki.”

               “I’m glad you like it.” Slowly he sat in the chair opposite of him, sipping the water from the glass jar between them. He had seen Jonghyun so many times before in this state of undress. Almost every night they were in a safe enough place his armor was taken off, but for some reason gazing at the warrior then, he felt different. He had never noticed the way Jonghyun’s hair curled upon his forehead, the deep brown of his eyes, how delicate his movements were as he ate and drank, or how his eyes fluttered when he enjoyed something he was eating. Before he can navigate and pinpoint what the warmth of his chest was, Jonghyun was speaking.

               “Are you staying around here for a while?”

               “A few days. I miss being home.” He chuckles softly. “Nothing is quite like your own bed.”

               Jonghyun dipped his head then, a dark pink, “It is very comfortable.”

               "Then again, as Archmage, I really should stay around at the College." It was then Jinki noticed the heap of armor on the floor. “You could have used the wardrobes. You didn’t have to discard your armor on the floor.”

              “I didn’t want to snoop.”

               “You’ll only find my old armor and some fancy clothes.”

               “Your old armor?” Jonghyun perks up, excitement and intrigue falling off of him in large waves.

               Jinki snorts, waving his hand, “Go look for yourself.”

               He pushed from the table and stepped in front of the first one, “Which one?”

               “The middle one.”

               As the doors clicked open Jonghyun stared at the contents before glancing over at Jinki. “You did not wear this. You couldn’t even pick up these weapons.”

               “I beg to differ.” He scuffed, arms crossing his chest. “I wore that for a number of years before I accepted who I was.”

               “Then come pick it up.” Jinki might have refused if it hadn’t been how cocky and sure Jonghyun looked leaning up against the wall with his arms across his chest.

               Without a word, Jinki walked toward him, but instead of turning to pick up his old weapons he stepped close to Jonghyun and reached out behind him to curl his left hand around the man’s ax. He twirled it behind his back after taking a few steps back, easily moving it between his hands, before offering it to Jonghyun again with a big smile. “Is that good enough for you, Mr. Jingles?” When Jonghyun just stared at him, lips parted, eyes wide, Jinki began to laugh as he placed the ax back against the wall. Being close to him he gives a goofy grin and asks, “I’m not as weak as you thought I was, Huh?”

               “You have gold specks in your eyes,” Jonghyun whispers instead.

               Jinki stumbles as he steps back, tripping on a pair of boots that had fallen from the wardrobe. His cheeks are pink, blush dusted over his skin, as he scratches the back of his neck. “Ye-yeah. I guess I do.”

\-----

              Later that night Jonghyun is laying on the left side of the bed, hugging an extra pillow as he rolls on top of it. “Are you coming to sleep?”

               The high elf looks up from the book he’s reading, a soft smile on his face. It was a few hours earlier that Jonghyun had asked if it was okay for him to stay in his room for the night. “If I don’t soon are you going to take up the entire bed?”

               “Possibly.” Jonghyun nuzzled against the pillow, eyes already starting to close. His voice was soft and drowsy. “It is way too comf.. Comfortable.”

               “Alright.” The book was placed on the table before Jinki pushes up. He puts his robe up on the hook before pulling the covers back and slipping in.

               “Goodnight Jinki.”

               He’s already asleep before Jinki can speak. He smiles gently, fond, and it’s then he realizes what the warmth in his chest is when he looks at Jonghyun. Love. It’s love. “Goodnight Jonghyun.”

\-----

 


	6. Chapter 6

             Jinki was sitting on his knees. He was wearing blue, simple pants and a light colored shirt with short sleeves. His hands were pushed into the soft dirt of his garden as he cultivated his plants. Jonghyun watched from the chair that had been pulled to rest against the stone wall that divided the bedroom from the rest of the circular room, right beside the curve of the garden in the center. “Did you plant this all yourself?”

             “Most.” Jinki’s hair was tied back, but a few strands that were too short for the band were falling into his eyes. He had an easy smile on his face. His body language was relaxed. He wasn’t on guard, looking out for possible attackers. He was at peace. “When I was appointed Archmage the dirt and tree were here, but the rest were crumbled and dead. My predecessor seemed to lack a green thumb.”

             “How do they stay alive while you’re gone?”

             “A bit of magic, a bit of asking Kibum to look after them.” He grinned, leaning back on his feet to admire his work. “I have a book on my shelf that says, Gardening for the inept if he ever has questions.”

             “Are you… close with Kibum?”

             Jinki’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the man. “You sound slightly jealous.”

             “I do not!”

             “Your squeaky voice says otherwise, Jingles.” He chuckled quietly when Jonghyun looked away, crossing his arms and mumbling to himself. “And yes. We used to travel together back when I was a warrior myself. We joined the college at the same time.”

             “Do you,” Jonghyun ran his thumb over the rim of his wine bottle. “Miss it?”

             “Not even a little bit.” Jinki leaned forward onto his hands to reach a plant further in. He smiled up at Jonghyun then, “You’re a much better companion, Jonghyun.”

             Jinki returned to his garden, which was a blessing for Jonghyun because it meant the mage didn’t see the rouge of his cheeks.

\-----

             “Are we even allowed in here?” Jonghyun whispered, sticking close to Jinki as they stepped into the darkened room.

             “I’m allowed wherever I wish.” There wasn’t much of Jinki he could see until the magelight appeared in his right hand. It was when Jinki tugged him further into the room he realized he was still holding the mage’s hand. Jinki shot the magelight toward the closest lamp and soon the light traveled around the room until the ancient library was clearly visible. “As long as we don’t damage anything, they’ll never know. Come on and look around. There are probably books on subjects and creatures you’ve never even heard of.”

             “Jinki?”

             “Yes?”

             “Your bookworm is showing.”

             Jinki dipped behind one of the two large walls in the otherwise circular room then, “I apologize.”

             Jonghyun wished he didn’t. “Where do you think I should start?” Just as quick as he left he was standing in front of him again, a book volume in his hands. The cover read, How to Start a Campfire. Jinki was grinning from ear to ear, pleased with himself. “Oh fuck off Magey.”

             “I figured with us parting ways soon you won’t have my fire to save you.” Jinki had turned away, his facial expression unknown then.

             He ran his fingers over the smooth red cover, opening it slowly to feel the way the pages felt against his skin. “What do you plan on doing after I leave?”

             “Stay around here for a few days to get a hold on things, but then I’m needed in a Dwemer ruins to the North of Riften. I sent two mages there a few months ago and have lost contact.” Jinki gently sat in one of the chairs facing the archway and Jonghyun, smiling as he flipped open a book. “On the way, I may kill a dragon or two, collect a few rogue bounties for the school to use. Break a few peoples hearts, maybe.”

             “Do you break a lot of hearts, Jinki?”

             “A few.”

             “I know coming into this I wasn’t keen on accompanying you, but,” Jonghyun swallowed thickly, faced with the knowledge that come a day or so, he’d most likely never see Jinki again. “You were a good companion these last few months. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”

             “Oh, you enjoyed being my meat shield, huh?”

             Jonghyun whined, “I’m trying to be heartfelt here, Jinki. Give me a break.”

             Jinki placed the book he was reading into his lap, his hand fell to rest upon it’s open pages, as he looked up with a soft gaze. “If anything, I am glad you don’t hate me anymore.”

             “No, I don’t hate you.” His voice came out so quiet it was almost a whisper. “To be honest, I think I’ll miss traveling with you.”

             “And why’s that?”

             Jonghyun found a seat across the way from Jinki, up against the other wall that split the room into thirds, facing the other man. “It gets quite lonely on the road. I love what I do, but it was really nice to have a partner I guess.”

             “It is.” Jinki’s gaze fell then and Jonghyun frowned, trying to figure out what had the usual confident, bordering cocky mage, so soft and almost shy. “Before you set off, I wish to make you a few potions and salves.”

             “Are you worried I’ll get hurt, Jinki?” He teased, but his ribbing stopped when Jinki rose his gaze.

             “Yes. I won’t be there to heal you, Jonghyun.” Jinki chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before he sighed, gaze falling. “And you like to run head first into trouble without thinking it through. I won’t be there to save you.”

             “I managed all by my lonesome for many years before you came along, Jinki.”

             “Please don’t belittle my feelings. If you don’t wish to accept them, I’ll hide them in your bags for later use.”

             “That’s cute.”

             “What?”

             “It’s cute.” Jonghyun repeated, “That you’re worried for me.”

             “Shut up,” Jinki mumbled as he dipped his head and his hair fell, cutting his features from Jonghyun’s vision. But the tips of his pointed ears were pink.

\-----

             As they were getting ready for bed later that night Jonghyun was sitting on the bed when he asked, “I’m not overstepping my welcome, am I?”

             Jinki looked over his shoulder briefly before he turned, continuing to brush his hair as he walked toward the bed. The brush was laid on the bedside table as he slipped under the covers. “What makes you ask that?”

             “You’re sharing your quarters with me for free, your food and bed.” Jonghyun waved his hands in a gesture toward the room. “I don’t want to offend you.”

             He shook his head, scooting further down until his ear was against the pillow and his back toward Jonghyun. “You can stay here as long as you wish, Jingles. Before you leave you can have whatever you need for supplies. You aren’t stepping over some unspoken line.”

             “Are you sure because-”

              “Jonghyun.”

             “Yes?” He almost squeaked.

             “Go to bed.”

             He pouted deeply but laid down on his pillow, staring at the broadness of Jinki’s back. Then the lights around them went out, cutting him from his vision. “Goodnight, Magey.”

             He might have heard Jinki laugh. “Goodnight, Jingles.”

\-----

             Early the next morning Jonghyun woke up to Jinki walking past the bed multiple times, in various states of undress until finally he was fully dressed in his main robe. “What are you doing?”

             Jumping slightly he fumbled for a moment for the scone in his hand. He turned with a soft glare. “Good morning to you too, Jonghyun.”

             He yawned widely, stretching as he sat up in bed. Smacking his mouth a few times he quipped, “That didn’t answer my question.”

             "I have a class to teach. The Storm Mage who was supposed to teach it is too drunk to do so.” Jinki pinned his hair back before putting a hand on his hip. “You could come to watch if you wish.”

             “A room full of mages learning how to use electricity?” Jonghyun’s face twisted. “Doesn’t sound safe at all.”

             “Don’t you trust me to protect you?”

             “Well, I-”

             “You don’t have to come, Jonghyun. I just thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience.” Jinki downed his juice before rolling his shoulders. He smiled sweetly at the man in the bed, “If you wish to come, I’ll be waiting on the other side of the wall for about fifteen minutes. And, don’t wear your armor. It’s like a magnet for the stuff.”

             Jonghyun frowned deeply as Jinki grabbed his staff that was leaning against the wall between the long storage bins along the wall. He decided that he did trust Jinki to protect him and that he was intrigued by the whole thing. Especially the concept of Jinki teaching anything with how snippy and sarcastic he was as a person.

             By the time he came stumbling around the corner fighting to put on his last boot, Jinki had paused in the archway about to leave, a bright grin on his face upon seeing Jonghyun.

\-----

             “What’s he doing here, Archmage?”

             Jonghyun felt incredibly small leaning against the pillar behind Jinki as the 8 students looked directly at him. Jinki didn’t even glance over his shoulder as he replied, “He’s just an observer. Pay him no mind.”

             “But-”

             “Ah ah ah,” Jinki let his hands fall from where they were held just above his navel. “You were expecting Master Kyuhyun, who’s is much softer than I am in lessons. Electricity is my specialty.”

             “But you aren’t a storm mage!” A young Khajit spoke from the back.

             “As Archmage, I am supposed to Master all forms of magic as I can.” Jinki caused fire to swirl around his fingers, quickly changing to frost before it moved to electricity. “All of these are in the school of Destruction. Some of you will go on to research different schools of magic, but one must know the basics of destruction to defend themselves. As much as Master Wizard Kibum likes to say, you cannot defend yourselves solely with an Atronach.”

             "What if we can’t control it?”

             “Than I guess it’s good I am also a master of healing,” Jinki smirked when the young students gasped. “Please don’t worry. No harm will come to you other than maybe your hair standing on end if you have it. Now, I am going to show you the simple form to create electricity. Then you’ll practice, turning away from each other and shooting it through the pillar openings around the room. Understood?”

             When the students murmured their understanding, Jinki slid his feet into position, raising his hand flat with his fingers pointing out. He breathed through his nose, eyes sliding closed as the crackle filled the hair, before it shot over the students' heads, causing them all to duck with a shriek. Jonghyun giggled behind his hand as Jinki stood with both hands on his hips. “It was nearly ten feet from the tallest of ya, please stop being dramatic. That’s my thing.”

              A short Nord girl stepped forward and Jonghyun was surprised to see a fellow Nord surrounded by magic. “Can you show us any other abilities you know?”

             “As in what, Soria?”

             “Wall of Storms, maybe.”

             “Ah, that’s quite a fun one.” Jinki nodded, “Alright, just don’t move. This will hurt you if you touch it.”

             Jonghyun was just as amazed as the novice mages watching Jinki create sparks at his feet. With each deep breath, they rose and fell, gaining strength before it shot out from either side of him, crackling as it traveled across the stone of the floor. When he lowered his arms and opened his eyes there was a bright line of sizzling electricity around the circumference of the inner circle of the room. He clapped his hands together and just like that it was gone, the only remnants of it occurring were the scorch marks on the stone.

\-----

             The soft clack as Jinki used the mortar and pestle was the only sound in the room other than their gentle breathing. Dinner had been eaten not too long ago, but Jinki had moved to work on his potions right as he was done. Jonghyun leaned against the wall, arms across his chest as he held the blanket around his shoulders tightly. “What are you making?”

             “Potions that replenish my energy for magic.” Was his soft reply, barely louder than the stone scraping as he used his stool to grind up red mountain flower and dwarven oil. “If I use more powerful spells for an extended period of time, my energy is too low to cast even the smallest flame.”

             “So if you had no energy you’d be powerless?”

             Jinki paused only for a moment as he pressed his lips together before continuing his twisting motion. “I suppose so.”

             “Interesting.”

             “Why do you ask?”

             “I was wondering if you were working on the ones for me.”

             The mortar was placed on the Alchemy table softly as Jinki lifted his gaze to find Jonghyun’s. “Are you planning to leave soon?”

             "Relatively.” He shuffled on his feet, a little awkward with the shift in the room. “I was on the way to see my mother when you made the agreement with me. I miss her.”

             “Ah,” Jinki ran his tongue over his lips quickly before cracking his knuckles gently. “I’ll have them ready by morning for whenever you leave, Jonghyun.”

             He opened his mouth to say something but decided to simply say, “Thank you,” Before turning to his right and finding his way to the bed and out of Jinki’s line of sight.

\-----

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonghyun realizes he's not ready to say goodbye just yet.

             Once the last cork was pushed into the bottles, Jinki carefully moved them to the nearby table for whenever Jonghyun happened to leave. He knew that the man was going to leave eventually for their agreement was complete, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He had thought, hoped, that he’d have more time with him. He pressed his lips together and ran a hand through his hair. Jonghyun could very well wake up in the morning and leave, and Jinki wasn’t sure if he was ready to swallow his feelings for the warrior and watch him go. For the first time since he gave up his last love, he was in love with another. For years he thought he’d never find love again, but he couldn’t doubt the feelings he felt for Jonghyun for what they were. 

             He loved him. He wanted to know how Jonghyun’s lips felt when they were kissed, or how he liked to hold hands. Did he like intertwining fingers, or just curl around palms? He wanted to know what Jonghyun’s dreams were, his aspirations, his goals. He once again enjoyed traveling and he couldn’t ignore that the only difference from the most recent time and the previous hundred, was Jonghyun being beside him. There was so much of the man he didn’t know and come very soon he’d lose his chance to. 

             “But I have to let him go.” He muttered to himself, fidgeting with the leftover ingredients laying over his alchemy table. Once they were put away and the area cleaned up, he headed around the separation wall toward the bed. Jonghyun was turned away from him, facing the other side of the bed. Walking past to change his clothes confirmed his suspicions that Jonghyun was already asleep. He pressed his lips together and focused on getting ready for bed. The only thing that could take him from his thoughts was sleep. He sighed heavily as he relaxed against the mattress, snuggling his cheek into his pillow and closing his eyes.

\----

             Feeling the bed dip, Jonghyun opens one eye to peek. Seeing Jinki’s broad back facing him, he chews on his bottom lip before taking the chance. “Are you okay, Jinki?” 

             “Holy Julianos!” Jinki curses, startled from his light sleep at the sound of the other man. “I thought you were asleep.” 

             “Barely. Who’s Julianos?” Jonghyun questioned before adding, “And you didn’t answer my question.” 

             Jinki hadn’t moved, still curled up with his back toward him. “I’m fine and Julianos is the God logic, wisdom, and the arts of magic.” 

             “You just… seemed off after I told you I’d leave soon.” He quickly ran his tongue over his dry lips, hesitant to say the last bit. “Like you’re disappointed I’m leaving.” 

             A few moments ticked by before he heard Jinki sigh softly, “Our agreement is complete. I knew you wouldn’t want to stay here more than you needed to.”

             Jonghyun reaches then for Jinki’s side, but his hand falls softly before his fingers touch him. “I was thinking that, maybe, our deal could be extended.” 

             In a swift motion, Jinki turns over, running his hand over his hair to get it from his face. His cheek is squished slightly by the pillow as he moves his right arm under it. “What do you mean, Jonghyun? Our deal was to bring me here. It’s complete.” 

             “What if I propositioned another?” 

             Jinki’s eyebrow twitched up, “Go on.” 

             “I’ve been thinking about our travels since Windhelm and I came to the conclusion that I probably couldn’t make my way back even if I had an updated map.” He swallows thickly feeling the nervous lump in his throat and lowers his gaze from Jinki’s. “I was wondering if you’d escort me to Windhelm. I’d ask for further, say back to Whiterun, but I know you must go to Riften.”

             “Sounds to me like you just want to travel more with me, Jingles.” 

             “Shut up,” Jonghyun grumbled before softly smiling, lifting his gaze once more. “Does that mean you’ll escort me?” 

             With a very exaggerated sigh, Jinki replied, “I wouldn’t want you freezing to death on your way down because you got lost. I’ll take you.” 

             A smile pulled at his lips, soft around the edges as he gazed at Jinki’s face, so pretty in the still flickering flames of the torch on the wall just above them. All it would take to kiss him would be a little shifting and leaning in, but before he could muster the courage to make that move Jinki was smiling and gently pushing against his chest. “We’ll leave in a few days. I have to discuss a few things with Kibum before we go. Goodnight Jonghyun.” 

As the man rolled over once again, Jonghyun kept thinking about the way his lips gently parted when he was finished speaking, the pink of their color and how much he wished he had kissed them. “Goodnight Jinki.” 

\-----

             Jonghyun scratched his tummy as he shuffled out of bed. He grabbed an apple from the shelf on his way from behind the wall and it was just against his lips when he noticed someone was using the Alchemy table. Someone that wasn’t Jinki. “Who the hell are you?” 

             There was a dark blue robe on the man’s frame. His dark hair was cut shorter, pushed back from his face messily. His ear twitched as he straightened. “I am Kibum, Jinki’s Master Wizard. You must be the stray he’s grown fond of.” 

             “Oh please play nice Kibum.” Jonghyun’s attention whipped over toward the voice his neck cracked a little. Jinki was kneeling by his garden picking a few things. Once he had what he needed gathering in his arms, he stood up with a smile. “Jonghyun, meet Kibum. Kibum, meet Jonghyun.” 

             “Mm quite.” Kibum gently shook his hand, eyebrow raised. 

             “Are most of the mages here elves?” 

             Jinki snorted at the question, while Kibum flicked his gaze between the two. “No. Many elves stay here over other races because they feel safer here.” 

             “Interesting,” Jonghyun commented, biting into his apple finally and chewing. “What’s he doing here?” 

             “He’s helping me get ready for Mzulft.” Jinki laid the plants on the table for Kibum to look through. “We really have no idea what’s awaiting me. Especially if something has happened to my mages I sent. They were two of my best.” 

             “Aren’t you afraid to go there alone?” Jonghyun softly asks, leaning against the shelf near the two mages. 

             Jinki shrugged as he picked the petals off a few purple mountain flowers. Then he smirked, “Are you worried about me, Jingles?” 

             “No!” Jonghyun scuffed, but his expression fell as he pouted. “Okay maybe. You’re soft.” 

             “It makes me quicker.” He placed the petals into the mortar for Kibum to grind as he looked at Jonghyun with a sweet smile. “I’ll be fine. You know I can handle myself quite well.” 

             “I don’t-” 

             “You two are insufferable, honestly.” Kibum huffed, the pestle clacking against the stone of the mortar. “Don’t you have something else you could be doing?” 

             “Someone has their skirt in a twist.” Jonghyun scowled before smiling at Jinki. “Can we go exploring?” 

             “Exploring?” 

             “Yeah! I’ve never been to Winterhold. You could show me the town. Maybe there’s a shop I can buy a few things I need at.” 

             “Alright,” Jinki ignored the look Kibum was giving him the best he could. “Go get dressed. We’ll stop by the storage room and see if there’s anything you need in there before you buy it.” 

\-----

             “Do you ever get tired of all the snow?” 

             When Jinki glanced over his hood fell from the top of his head. “You get used to it. I quite enjoy it over the scorching heat you feel in the middle of Skyrim.” 

             “It is far prettier than the rolling plains I remember growing up on.” A snowflake landed on his nose and he sneezed violently. Jinki erupting in laughter made him glare and elbow him in the side as the made their way toward the shop to their right. 

             As they approached the shop Jinki stopped on what could be called the porch. “You should go in alone. I’ll be waiting out here.” 

             “You’re being weird again.” 

             “Aren’t I always?” Jinki flashed a soft smile as he lifted his hands to warm them up with his breath. “Go on. I’ll be right here for the walk back.”

             Jonghyun squinted at him before stepping through the door. Jinki leaned against the wood of the place and produced a small flame in his palms to keep them warm. His eyes shifted across the white pillowy expanse of what was left of Winterhold. There were a few guards shuffling about and that weird man who tried to sell everyone chickens he didn’t have, but otherwise, there wasn’t anything of interest or excitement. 

             That was until the roar blew through the small town and the ground beneath him trembled. He stepped from under the cover of the shop, fire already increasing on his hands, swirling up his wrists and between both of his hands. Sure enough near the entrance of town was a dragon. Guards were quick to pull their bows, but the arrows didn’t seem to do much damage. A fireball was shot at it’s head, which only seemed to anger the beast more. 

             He was summoning a frost atronach when he heard Jonghyun exclaiming from behind him. “What did you blow up this time?” 

             “Go back inside, Jonghyun.” 

             Completely ignoring the order, the man stepped toward him. It was then he looked where the commotion was. “Whoa, what the fuck that’s a dragon!” 

             “Go back inside! You don’t have your armor on.” Jonghyun’s jaw clenched as he stared him down, about to disagree, but then he was being tackled against the ground as the dragon spewed his ice breath straight at them. Jinki lifted his head to look at him, huffing a little. “Please go back inside. I can’t focus on the dragon worrying about you.” 

             If the circumstances weren’t literally life or death, Jonghyun might have taken the opportunity to press up and kiss him. Given that they were in fact in the middle of a dragon attack, he decided to just nod in agreement. “Alright. Don’t get yourself hurt.” 

             “Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” Jinki pushed off and spun, shooting fire dead center at the dragon. He looked over as he held up a ward to stop the ice from hitting him. He yelled over the rushing sound of the ice breath. “Go!” 

             He pressed his lips together into a thin line and looked at him fighting the dragon before ripping the image from his line of sight and rushing back into the shop. He pressed his back against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. There were very few times in his life he felt as helpless as he did then.

\-----

             As silence fell Jonghyun felt as if he could breathe again. He was just about to look outside when the door opened. Standing there was Jinki. He had a scrape along his cheek and his hair was in disarray, but he was okay. Before he could say anything Jonghyun was crashing into him, wrapping his arms tight around him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

             “I-” Jinki’s arms were held hesitantly away from him before he relaxed and returned the embrace. “I’m fine, Jingles. Just a little tired.” 

             He pulled away, pink dusting his cheeks, as he took a step back. He lifted his hand to gently touch the slightly bleeding cut on his cheek. “How’d you get this?” 

             “A stray arrow.” Jonghyun eyes widened, causing Jinki to chuckle. “The dragon moved before the guard could stop the shot. I’m fine. Did you get what you needed?” 

             “I did.” 

             “Then, do you mind we cut the exploring short?”

             “Not at all.” 

\-----

             Kibum sighed deeply as he spotted the two men stepping through the big archway into the room. “What mess could you get into going to the store?” 

             Jinki gave a goofy grin, “A dragon attacked. I fought it.” 

             The Master Wizard shook his head, before pointing toward the nearby table. “Sit. Jonghyun, go get him something to eat.” 

             Jonghyun glanced over to Jinki and only moved when the man smiled. “It’s really not that serious.” 

             “Uh huh. I’ll be the final say in that.” Golden light circled his hand as he lifted it to Jinki’s cheek.

             “I could have healed myself.” 

             “You could have.” Jonghyun stepped closer, holding some bread in his hand and a glass of water in the other. Kibum smiled kindly as he lowered his hand. “You sit here and rest. Eat that.”

             “I have that meeting with-” 

             “Not anymore.” Kibum stepped back and wiped his hands on his robe. He glanced at Jonghyun, “Think you can keep him from doing too much?” 

             “I can try.”

             “Good. I’ll be back.” 

             As Kibum left Jonghyun shared a look with Jinki, gesturing to the now empty archway. “Is he always like that?” 

             “Always has been.”

             After slipping into the chair across the small table from him, Jonghyun softly commented as he played with the end of the cloak Jinki let him borrow. “He seems to really care about you.” 

             “He’s a really good friend.” Jinki nibbled on his bits of bread that he had pulled off, studying Jonghyun softly. “Are you okay?”

             “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

             “I tackled you pretty hard. I could have bruised you.” He hummed before continuing, “Besides, I mainly meant emotionally. You distant mentally since I made you go back into the shop.”

             “Oh, I’m fine.” He flashed a little smile, arms held loose around himself. “It was odd being out of the fight like that. I felt helpless.” 

             “I, for one, am glad you listened to me.”

             “Oh yeah?” 

             “Yeah.” Jinki laughed quietly, tapping his fingers on the table gently as he grew solemn. “I couldn’t fathom going to find your mother and telling her you died protecting the highest ranking mage in Skyrim.” 

             “But I did listen. Now eat and maybe you can teach me how to use that weird grinding bowl thing.” 

             “Do you mean the mortar?” 

             “Mortar? What kind of bullshit name is that?” 

             Jinki barely coughed himself out of choking on his water from laughing too hard. 

\-----

             The next morning everything was settled and it was time to leave. Kibum was going over a few last minute things that needed Jinki’s absolute attention, which Jonghyun managed to drown out mostly from his spot sprawled out on the bed. His armor was fully on him and he wasn’t about to stand around with it on more than he had to. He pressed his head back to look behind him when he heard Jinki speaking. “Are you ready, Jingles?” 

             “I’ve been waiting on you!” 

             “For once.” Jinki already had his extra furs along his shoulders, the thick cloak underneath it all. His hands were hidden in the big sleeves of his robe. “Come on. I want to make good time.” 

             After heaving himself off the mattress, Jonghyun pouted, following him out from behind the wall. “Now it just sounds like you wanna get rid of me.” 

             It was then he noticed Kibum standing in the middle of the room. “I doubt it’d be that easy.”

             “Kibum.” Jinki softly warned causing the other mage to simply smile. 

             “Be safe. Whatever awaits you in Mzulft I would rather like my Archmage returning.” Kibum clasped him on the shoulder softly before stepping away. He then glanced at Jonghyun stepping in tow. “In the short time you are with him still make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.” 

             “I’m not the one who removed the glowing sword.” Jinki softly commented, a smile hidden by the hood he had pulled over his hair.

             “That was ONE time.” 

\-----

             The blizzard was finally letting up as the approached the mill. Their pace was leisurely, snow billowing around their feet as they kicked it with their steps. “I’ve been thinking.” 

             Jinki was heating his face up with his hands when Jonghyun spoke and he didn’t lower them when he responded, causing his voice to be slightly muffled. “That never leads to good things.”

             “Oh, shut up.” Jonghyun tightened his furs around his body as he stared off into the horizon, Windhelm starting to come into view. “There’s a town just south of the city. I thought maybe we could stay there for the night.” 

             “Why? I thought you liked Windhelm.” 

             “Parts of it sure. The blacksmith is one of the best in all of Skyrim.” Jonghyun took a glance at Jinki then, quickly reverting his gaze when he realized the mage was looking at him. “Windhelm isn’t a safe place for you. Kynesgrove is close enough that it won’t take us to pass nightfall, but far enough… maybe you’ll feel safer.” 

             “Thank you, Jonghyun.” The warmth in Jinki’s voice could almost take the fridge cold from his bones. “For thinking about me.” 

             “You respected my fear of mages when in Winterhold. It’s only right I respect yours of Windhelm and the hatred within those walls.” 

             Playfully Jinki nudged Jonghyun’s arm with his elbow, “Maybe I can even teach you how to swim.” 

             “You’d want to?”

             “Everyone should know how to swim, Jonghyun.” Jinki hummed, “Why don’t you know how to?”

             “Oh, um, my dad was supposed to teach me that summer, but…”

             “Oh, understood.”

             “I’d really appreciate it if you would teach me though.” 

             After a few paces, Jinki teased him, “I promise to not let the demon water get you.” 

             “Oh do shut up!” 

\-----


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonghyun learns a bit more than he expected about Jinki's past.

              The snow flurries had lessened significantly as they made their way past the lumber mill. Off in the blurry distance, Windhelm could finally be seen. Jonghyun was trying to sip warm apple juice from a tin cup that Jinki had heated up for him, but the slight jarring of his steps was making such a simple task almost impossible. He glanced over the rim when Jinki spoke. “Is there a special lady waiting for you back home?”

              “Ah, not for this man.” Jonghyun laughed quietly, cradling his warm cup to try and steal it’s warmth. “I’ve never been one to fancy women.”

              “Ah.”

              Jonghyun’s eyebrow lifted, “Why do you ask?”

              “Oh, uh,” Jinki gently kicked a stone that was lying in his path. He shrugged as he continued. “I was just wondering if I had kept you from someone important to you other than just your mother.”

              Once he swallowed the rest of the juice, he handed the cup back to Jinki who tied it onto the side of his pack. “Well Magey, don’t you worry. There’s not a lover waiting for me back home.”

              “That’s a relief.” A small smile curled at his lips. “Wouldn’t want to anger two different women.”

              A few more paces and Jonghyun quietly asked, “Do you have someone special hiding somewhere in that College of yours?”

              “Not a woman or a lover.” Jinki’s voice was soft and distant when he continued. “I once had a daughter. Jaehwa was very special to me.”

              “Jinki wait, was? What do you mean was?”

              He gave a hesitant glance to his left, quickly reverting his eyes when Jonghyun’s were waiting for him. “Her Nord Grandfather found out she was half high elf and she never reached further than her third birthday. He… killed her.”

              Jonghyun abruptly stopped, curling his fingers around Jinki’s arm to halt his steps. “Hey, I’m so sorry I asked.”

              Jinki softly met his gaze and the expression of sorrow gracing his features was startling for Jonghyun. He had only seen something resembling sadness once when he admitted his hatred of mages to the man. And even then it was nothing like the bone-deep despair he saw then. “You couldn’t have known. It’s quite alright. A few years have passed since then.”

              “Does this have anything to do with why the guards in Winterhold don’t like you?”

              “Quite perceptive of you.” Jinki swallowed thickly, eyes fluttered shut as he turned his head away. When he turned toward Jonghyun once again his head was lowered, gaze on Jonghyun’s torso for he knew he couldn’t look at Jonghyun with how his vision was beginning to blur with tears. “Her... Grandfather is the Captain of Winterhold Guard. I don’t often go into town other than to leave for travels.”

              “Then why did you go with me?”

              “I don’t trust the guard.” Jinki finally looked up, lip pulled through his teeth for a moment. “I had to protect you.”

              “If I had known, I’d never had asked to go.”

              “It’s okay.”

              “It isn’t though, Jinki. You respected my past and did your best to lessen the amount of exposure I had to things, such as the dark elves at the College, that could cause me emotional pain. You deserve the same respect.” After a few moments of gazing up at him and rocking a little on the balls of his feet, Jonghyun shyly asked, “Can I hug you?”

              Jinki quietly laughed, before opening his arms. “Come on.”

              He wasn’t even finished answering before Jonghyun was half crashing into him, squishing his cheek against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Jinki.”

              It was a moment more that Jinki gave in, closing his eyes and pressing his nose into Jonghyun’s hair. The wind was picking up around them, forcing them to pull apart. Jinki flashed a little smile, trying to reassure Jonghyun as much as he could without words before they both began walking down the path once again.

\----

              The snow crunched beneath their feet, pebbles being kicked, as Jinki walked a few paces in front of him. He always did manage to walk slightly faster. Jonghyun has put it under the fact he was wearing less heavy clothes and like to ignore the slight length difference in their legs that probably was the biggest reason. Except now, he was conscious of the fact he was walking slower. Learning that Jinki had once had a daughter, who was murdered for being who she was, only reminded him of his own prejudices. Not so long ago he had hated Jinki for just being a mage, had had thoughts of murdering him in his sleep to be out of the deal and away from him. While that was months ago, it still weighed heavily on his heart.

              The sun was beginning to set. He knew more than likely he wouldn’t get the swim lesson Jinki promised him, but that was the last thing on his mind when Jinki turned with a bright smile and brought him out of his thoughts. “We should fill up our water skins here. The inn is just up the hill, right?”

              “Yeah, yeah it is.”

              Jinki’s head cocked to the side a little as he studied him, “Is there something on your mind?”

              “Always.”

              A short laugh left the mage’s lips as he lowered to the river’s edge to fill his water skin. “Care to share, oh wise one?”

              “I feel guilty.” Jonghyun softly confesses as he kneels beside Jinki. He focuses on getting the cap off his water skin. “I hated mages, elves, because of what happened to my father, and I just keep thinking about how similar my feelings are to.. His.”

              “Jonghyun, you’re nothing like him.” Jinki reached out to curl his fingers around his arm, causing him to look at him. “You had a reason for your hatred. She was a little girl that never did anything to him.”

              “You should hate all nords for what he did to your daughter, but you’ve never treated me as such. Even the man in Windhelm who bruised your arm got more respect from you that I gave you when we first met.” Jonghyun sucked in a rough breath, chest aching a little. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance.”

              Jinki let his hand fall from his arm to put the cap on his waterskin. He straightened before quietly saying. “She would have liked you.”

              Jonghyun stumbled slightly in his rushed attempt to stand. “You really think so?”

              “Yeah. I wish she could have.” Then without another word Jinki turned and headed up the hill to find the path leading to the inn in Kynesgrove.

\-----

              Jonghyun grinned widely as Jinki walked toward him. He held up the key to their room. “They only had one room left. Apparently, there was a big hunting party that came through.”

              “It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before.” Jinki brushed past him with a little smile, walking toward the rooms. “Which one is ours?”

              “The first on the left.”

              As Jonghyun showed him the way to the room, Jinki softly commented, “I’m sorry it took so long to get here. I know you were looking forward to learning to swim.”

              “It’s alright.” He flashed a little grin over his shoulder as he wiggled the key in the lock and pushed open the door. “I’ve survived this long without knowing how to. I’ll get by.”

              Most of Jonghyun’s things were already unceremoniously laid out on the floor near the thick table against the wall. After closing the door behind him, Jinki climbed up onto the bed and crisscrossed his legs up on the mattress. He fished out an apple from his bag, rubbed it on the inside of his robe before taking a huge bite. He glanced over at Jonghyun, who was stumbling around taking off his armor. Jinki’s lips curved slightly, amused, as the man almost fell over wiggling off his boots. He didn’t like to stare so obnoxiously, but Jonghyun was cute as he lightly struggled. He was mumbling incoherent words, though Jinki could take a guess they were curses, and hopping on one foot as he worked off his armor.

              Jonghyun, at first, didn’t seem all that muscular. With the armor off and the tighter lining underneath the only thing on him, while it made his size look smaller, it also allowed the firmness of his body to be seen. As he heaved his armor up to move it into a pile against the wall, his shirt rose, showing off his soft tummy. Jinki had no doubt he was rock solid. He averted his eyes quickly as Jonghyun turned. “So I think I’m going to go get dinner. I’m famished.”

              Jinki rose his hand holding the apple and wiggled it. “I’m good with this for now.”

              “Mmm, alright. Be right back.” He grabbed a few coins from his coin purse and exited through the door.

              While he was gone Jinki stretched out his legs and moved to wash his face in the bowl of water provided. He’d much rather take a bath, but without a tub he would deal with this. Once his face was dried, he took the pins from his hair and changed out of his robe into a soft pair of old pants and a loose shirt. With how late it was, there was no reason for him to leave the confines of their room, and he wanted to be comfortable. He wasn’t exactly sure when the next time he’d truly have a bed to sleep in. Well, that was if Jonghyun didn’t agree to stay one more night with him.

              The closest chair was pulled out, a book he had pulled from his bag in search for his apple earlier open in front of him, when Jonghyun returned through the door. Jinki didn’t even look up until a plate was pushed under where he was holding his book up. “What’s this for?”

              “Just because.” A blue bottle was softly placed beside it. Jinki looked between the food, his favorite wine, and Jonghyun slowly before he understood.

              “Thank you.”

              “We all have ways of protecting.” Was all he said before he went back for his own dinner.

\-----

              Later that night as they laid in bed to sleep, the only light being the candle on the windowsill above the bed, Jinki quietly asked, “How would you feel about staying one more night here?”

              Jonghyun slowly opened his eyes, an easy smile on his face. “Why?”

              “I promised to teach you how to swim. I like to keep my promises.”

              “I think you just want to tease me.”

              Jinki laughed quietly as his eyes narrowed a little in his amusement. “There’s a great possibility, but mostly, maybe I wish to spend another day with you.”

              Jonghyun’s eyebrow rose, intrigued. “And why would you want that?”

              “Because I care about you. I’d like to consider us friends and,” Jinki tightened his hold on the blanket held tightly around him. “I don’t know when we’ll see each other again or if you’ll want to keep in touch.”

              “Oh, you want to keep in touch?”

              “Yes.”

              “Then... I’ll stay one more day.” Jonghyun smiled brightly, nuzzling his cheek into his pillow.

              “After breakfast, I know a natural hot spring about an hour long walk from here.” Jinki yawned quietly, “Goodnight Jonghyun. I’ll see you in the morning.”

              “Goodnight.”

              Jinki moved to get comfortable after Jonghyun rolled onto his back, but then he realized Jonghyun’s eyes were still open. He leaned on his palm, lifted up by his elbow on the bed. “Are you still thinking about being guilty?”

              Jonghyun whipped his head to the side, eyes wide, “How could you possibly know that?”

              “You’d be surprised.” Carefully he reached over to squeeze Jonghyun’s hand resting beside him. “I forgive you. For the way you used to view me, for thoughts you never disclosed to me that are making you feel guilty. I forgive you, Jonghyun. I need you to forgive yourself, now. Okay, Jingles?”

              “Okay,” Jonghyun whispered, eyes blurring a little bit. He was grateful for the low light.

              “I know you care about me now.”

              “I do.”

              “Just like I do you. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have forgiven you. Goodnight, Jonghyun. Rest that mind of yours.” Jinki smiled before turning over, getting comfy and closing his eyes. Jonghyun gazed at the back of him for a long moment, before reaching up to grab the candle and blowing it out. Once it was safely back on the ledge, he softly laid back, careful not to jostle Jinki too much.

\------

              The mid-morning sun was bright and warm above them, light filtering through the sparse trees and brush as they walked over the broken cobblestone path. Jonghyun skipped a little to catch up to Jinki, hands curled around the straps of the bag over his shoulders. His armor was locked up back in their room at the inn and he felt almost naked without it on. Jinki’s robes were also back in their room. The simple clothes on his frame were ones he used when he didn’t want to be recognized as a mage, and Jonghyun believed he looked really good in them. “When will we get there?”

              “Soon.”

              “How soon is ‘soon’?”

              “A few minutes.”

              “Well, I-”

              “Give me all your money or I’ll gut you like a fish.” Standing before them was an orc, sword held out firmly. Jinki slipped between the sword and Jonghyun, curling his left arm back around to make sure the man was behind him completely. The sword’s point cut through Jinki’s shirt, almost pressing into his skin on his stomach.

              “I don’t think you want to do this.” He quietly warned.

              “And why is that?”

              Steam billowed from Jinki’s nose as he breathed out roughly, fire swirling around his fingers before it shot out toward the ground. It created a circle around the thief as the long grass burned quickly. “You’ll never get that sword through me before the fire burns you unrecognizable.”

              The thief looked at them for a few moments before he sprinted the other way. Once he was sure the orc was gone, he looked down at his stomach, looking at the hole cut in his shirt. Jonghyun’s throat suddenly felt dry, breathing a little quick, as Jinki smiled so handsomely at him. “That was the most idiotic, yet cool, thing I’ve ever had to witness.”

              “Better me than you.”

\-----

              “Come on! It’s warm.” The speed in which Jinki climbed down the rocks had Jonghyun’s heart in his throat. By the time he had gotten down himself, Jinki was pulling his shirt off and dropping it on top of his discarded bag. He looked over his shoulder for a split second, a bright smile on his face, before he was heading into the water. Once he was in the deepest part, he turned, leaning back to get his hair wet. “Aren’t you coming Jingles?”

              “But it’s too deep.”

              “I won’t let the demon water get you.” Jinki stood up slightly and Jonghyun focus was taken away momentarily by the water dripping down Jinki’s chest. “Come on. I got you.”  

              Jonghyun dropped his shirt next to his bag and took a few steps to the edge of the water. After a deep breath, he entered the water. When the hot spring was up to his thighs, Jinki offered his hands which Jonghyun quickly took. “What are you going to teach me first?”

              “How to float.”

              “How is that swimming?”

              “Swimming is just floating while you move through the water.” Jinki softly grinned. “Come on, get on your back for me.”

              “You’re going to drown me.”

              “Uh huh. Don’t you trust me?”

              Jonghyun chewed his bottom lip before groaning. “Yes. Fine.”

              With a little adjusting and a bit of flailing, Jinki managed to get Jonghyun floating on top of the water with his hands under him. “Close your eyes, relax. I won’t let the water hurt you.”

              A few deep breaths later, Jonghyun’s eyes closed. There was a soft breeze rolling over the East Marsh. It felt cool across the warmth of his skin with the extra heat of the water around them. “I think I’m ready to do it on my own.”

              “You already are.”

              Jonghyun’s eyes snapped open, finding Jinki standing there with his hands held above the water. “WHAT!” The panicked flailing at first was funny to Jinki before he realized how scared Jonghyun was. Quickly he was wrapping both arms around him steadying him.

              “Jonghyun calm down! I got you.”

              “I could have drowned!”

              Jinki’s nose was pressed against the back of his head, arms tight around his middle, and his voice was incredibly soft as he spoke, “I’ll never let anything happen to you around me, Jonghyun.”

              Jonghyun was sure Jinki had to feel the way his heart was beating roughly in his chest, the rush of his quickened breathing. They weren’t from the fear of drowning anymore, but the feeling of Jinki’s bare skin pressed up against him. “I think I’m okay. Thank you.”

              “Alright,” Slowly he withdrew his arms, swimming a foot or so away. “You should be able to stand up there.”

              “Thank you.”

              Jinki lowered under the water, massaging his scalp, before lifting his head back above the water. He grinned brightly. “Take it easy. No need to be  fish right away.”

              “Like you?”

              "I grew up swimming all the time and playing in the water. I miss it.”

              “Oh in Markarth?” Jonghyun hesitantly moved a little deeper, “There’s a lot of water there, right?”  

              “Yeah. The house there is still mine if I ever wished to go back, but I haven’t been back since my father died.”

              “Maybe one day you can show me it.”

              “You’d want to?” Jinki blushed slightly at how surprised he sounded, dipping his head a little to try and hide his pink cheeks.

              “There’s a lot about you I wish to learn.”

\-----

              After swimming for hours and walking back, both of them were exhausted. The small things of food they had brought with them and been enough for lunch time, but quickly their stomachs growled with hunger once again. The hunting party had left that morning, leaving the inn empty besides the owners. The fire was warm as they sat near it, sipping at their drinks of choice. Jinki loved watching the way the flames flickered against the stone and wood of the inn around them. He noticed easily in the time he was with Jonghyun that them man always sat further away from the fire as he could and still be warm. Now, he understood why.

              Jonghyun had one mead already in his tummy, and a half of another already down as well. His skin was feeling tingly and his tummy warm. He kept thinking about the way Jinki looked in the light of the fire and how tomorrow morning his heart would break watching him walk away. The mead lowered his filter and before he could think against it, “I think you’re going to break my heart.”

              Jinki slowly turned toward him, eyes studying him intently. “You’d have to love me for that to happen.”

              “Maybe I do.”

              After taking a slow drink of his wine, Jinki sweetly smiled as he stood. He gestured with a nod of his head, “Let’s go talk somewhere more private, Jonghyun.”

His mead was left next to Jinki’s wine bottle as they headed to their room. He pushes the door closed slowly and when he turns around Jinki is carefully taking each of his rings off and setting them on the table. Once finished he looked over to see Jonghyun heavily leaning against the door. “You make it seem as if you’re scared I’ll hurt you.”

              “Not physically. You’d never do that. But,” Jonghyun fidgets with his fingers, eyes downcast as he continues. “Emotionally? You very well might. I don’t know much about your past in terms of love. You could be a breaker of hearts, a flirt and a lover.”

              “I could be.”

              “You use things for your own purposes without remorse.”

              “For the most part, I do.”

              “You could very well be using me.”

              “You’re right. I could be.” Jinki responds as he reaches up to take the pins from his hair that he had pushed in after swimming. He smiles up at Jonghyun as he leans heavily against the table behind him, curling his fingers around the edge. “But, I promise you I’m not. You very well may be the one to break mine Jonghyun.”

              Jonghyun’s breath is soft, yet ragged, watching Jinki’s hair fall around his face. It’s longer than when they first met, down to the base of his neck. The soft, warm white always looked so beautiful against the color of his skin. It was Jinki who broke the silence between them. “You’ve cared for me for a while, since before Winterhold, haven’t you?”

              “Maybe.”

              “Here I am, willing to be open and vulnerable for you, least you can do is be honest with me.”

              Jonghyun opens and closes his mouth quickly, trying to find the words to say to express his feelings. He takes a few steps forward after locking the door. “Yes. I’ve liked you since the first time snow fell on the way up to the college.” He swallows thickly, hands slightly shaking with his nerves. “I knew I loved you when we stood out in that blizzard trying to get you to not be so mad at me, when I thought I lost you.” One more step is taken. “I didn’t need an escort. I needed more time with you.”

              “You knew you loved me then?”

              “I almost told you, but then the thought came that there’s much about you I don’t know yet, and I didn’t want to be used or hurt.”

              “Now, do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

              Another step. “It’s highly likely.”

              Jinki pushes off the ground to sit up on the table, legs spreading slightly as he relaxes. “I know something that’s more likely than that, Jonghyun.”

              “And what would that be?”

              “That I’ve loved you since you sneezed because of the snow crystals on your nose.” Jonghyun takes the last few steps until he’s standing between Jinki’s thighs, hands hesitantly resting on his thighs. Jinki gazes at him so soft and fond as he continues. “And that I dread how tomorrow morning bids our goodbye.”

              Jonghyun leans so close they can feel each other’s breath against their lips, nose’s brushing as he whispers, “Do you want it as a goodbye?”

              “Give me a moment and you tell me Jingles.”

\------


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are confessed and explained, and they finally let it all go.  
> i.e. warning for smut in the beginning

           Jinki’s lips were a lot softer and sweeter than he thought they’d be as the man pressed closer. His fingers were in Jonghyun’s hair, tugging a little as he kissed him again. When he parted he smiled sweetly and whispered. “I love you, Jonghyun Kim. I’m in love with you.”

           He could tell by the look in Jinki’s eyes that he was telling the truth and he felt it in the softness of the caress against his cheek. It was like time stopped between them, months of pinning feelings and weeks of sexual tension snapping into place like a pulled taunt band let go. 

           He tugged Jinki closer to the edge, hands firm on his hips as their lips meet again. The kisses were rushed and hot. He never thought Jinki’s hair would be so soft to the touch or that he would make small pleased sounds when the kisses were a bit rougher in nature. It surprised him, however, that Jinki hadn’t taken the lead, instead opting to follow. They only parted when Jonghyun’s fingers curled around the ends of Jinki’s shirt and lifted it over his head, causing him to laugh as his hair flew everywhere. Jonghyun discarded his quickly, returning to kiss him as if it was what he needed to be able to breathe. At the moment, it felt as if that was true.

\------

           Jinki had his hands held above his head, hands clasped as he kissed and nibbled on Jonghyun’s neck. He lifted his head, pressing a long kiss to his lips before gently asking, “How far?” 

           Jonghyun laughed, amused. Here they were naked with their cocks brushing, having had the other’s cock deep in their mouth, and Jinki thought now was the time to ask how far he wanted it. “Bluntly? Fuck me.” 

           Jinki flushed, but he smiled widely, “As you wish.”

\-----

           His cock hadn’t been touched since Jinki had fingered him open in preparation and stroked him during it, but he felt so close to cumming nonetheless. He had his legs wrapped around Jinki, fingers curled in the sheets of the bed under him, and his head pressed back against the pillows. It had been some time since he had taken a lover at all and longer still since he felt as pleased as he did then. His entire body was buzzing as he moved his blunt nails over Jinki’s flexing back, cursing as Jinki growled softly against the curve of his ear. 

           “I’m close.” 

           Jinki’s voice was so breathless and deep as he kissed his lips and then nuzzled into his neck. Being kissed reminded Jonghyun of the way Jinki’s lips thinned as he sucked on his cock, and then he was thinking of the way Jinki’s cock felt and tasted when he had done the same to him. But it was the words that came out of Jinki’s mouth, hot breath against his neck, that did him in. “Then finish for me.” 

           For once, he did as Jinki told him. Jinki wrapped his arms tight around him, hand pushed up into his hair on the back of his head, keeping him close as he came between them. Jinki followed close behind, thrusting slowly before stopping as far as he could, cumming almost silently. Feeling the rush of warmth within him Jonghyun tightened his hold on him, pressing his face into the side of Jinki, mouth open against his cheek. 

           The last thing he remembers is Jinki whispering I love you into the back of his neck and himself barely mumbling I love you too before sleep pulled him under.

\----

           The late morning sun was filtering through the single window above the bed as Jonghyun slowly came to. He nuzzled against his pillow, cheek squished a little, but his eyes snapped open, heart pounding when his pillow moved slightly. Then he saw the hand laying on the bed, palm up, relaxed and he realized his pillow was instead an arm. There were soft movements behind him, and a moment later an arm was thrown over his waist, a nose was pressed into his hair and he felt, soft warm breaths against the back of his neck. Jinki’s voice was slow, deep and full of sleep as he mumbled, “Good Morning Jingles.” 

           He turns to face him slowly, and even then Jinki's eyes aren't open yet. He smiles though, knowing Jonghyun's looking at him. "Whatever you are about to say, if it's not a good morning, or let's go back to sleep, please let it wait. I'm warm."

           Jonghyun begins "Jinki I-"

           Jinki opens his eyes just barely, squinting at him, finger pressed to Jonghyun’s lips for just a moment before he returns his arm back to rest on his waist, "Ah ah. Don't ruin the moment just yet with serious talk Jonghyun."

           Jonghyun lifts his hand to softly run his fingers over Jinki's features. A little nervous, he whispers, "I love you."

           Jinki's eyes fully open then, and they're so deep. "Jonghyun..”

           "I don't know what last night meant to you, but I know what it meant to me. I love you. It took me a while to figure that out, but I do." Jonghyun's thumb runs over his bottom lip gently. "I know you have business to attend to. You told me you loved me last night Jinki. Please tell me it wasn't just to get me into bed or worse.. The alcohol.”

           "Do you believe I'm that type of person, Jonghyun?"

           Jonghyun lowers his gaze, the heat in Jinki's making him shy. "I don't want to be one of the hearts you break Jinki."

           "Oh, Jonghyun." Jinki taps the bottom of his chin softly, making him lift his gaze. "I quite think you have some image of me in your head where I bed random strangers and then leave in the morning as if nothing happened. I'm not, and I don't plan on doing that with you. I meant what I said last night. I love you. I don’t do much without thinking it through first. I’ve lost too much to risk losing more because of a rash decision on my part. You’re more than just a lover, someone to warm my bed, to me."

           “Really?”

           With a sweet smile, Jinki returns his hand to his waist, fingers moving in soft circles on his skin. “I have taken lovers before, ones that I haven’t had much contact with after the night if over, but I’m almost thirty-one. I want… to be happy. To settle down I guess.” 

           “So.. a life partner?”

           “Yeah.. I guess that would be what it’d be called.” Jinki’s eyes closed for a moment, tongue moving over his lips, before they opened again as he spoke. “I would like to work towards that with you if you could see me as that, if you want that.” 

           Gazing at him softly, Jonghyun thought about what he wanted in his life, his future. Most of his destiny was unknown, but he knew quickly he didn’t want to approach whatever life threw at him alone. He wanted Jinki beside him. Fear flashed over Jinki’s features, his smile falling around his eyes at the extended silence. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about what I want in my future,” The smile lessened even more, but then Jonghyun pushed forward to kiss him sweetly. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go about figuring that out with you.”

           “Whether you decide to leave in a different direction than me or come along, that's up to you." He pushed his hair from his face quickly, “But know if you chose to return to your mother it won’t be the end of our story together.”

           "You'd.. want me along?" Jonghyun whispers, unsure if he understood correctly.

           "I don't want to be a part from you." Jinki confesses. "But your mother is expecting you, and I cannot push off going to Mzulft."

           "It's College business. Surely it's improper to have me along."

           "That's the thing, Jingles. As Archmage, I can do whatever the fuck I want." When Jonghyun looks away before rolling onto his back, Jinki frowns, removing his arm from under Jonghyun’s head and pushing up on his elbow. "You don't have to come if you don't want to Jonghyun. I really have no idea what's awaiting me at Mzulft. Two of my best mages have gone silent. I don't wish to be a part from you, but I don't want to be the reason you never return home."

           Jonghyun sighs, before turning his head to look at him. He's almost scowling. "And you think I'm just going to let your soft ass go into the unknown without me?"

           "I can take care of myself Jonghyun."

           Jonghyun hums, staring up at the ceiling again. "I know this, but I also know that if I head toward Whiterun and my mother, that the only thing on my mind will be if I will ever see you again." Then he looks at him. "You're almost cocky. Headstrong. You don't know when to admit you need help. And you're soft. I'm coming with you. You can’t offer me the opportunity for a life partner and then go and get yourself killed."

           Jinki laughs softly as he falls back onto the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. “You know, I like that.”

           “Like what exactly?”

           “You calling me life partner,” Jinki waved his hand in the air, eyes closed for a moment, “Even in the hypothetical sense.” 

           “You deserve to be happy Jinki.” 

           He laid his head to the right to look at him, cheek against the pillow. His gaze is soft, and Jonghyun is sure he’s never seen the man be so content and relaxed. “I’m starting to feel so again.” 

           The look in his eyes makes impossible for Jonghyun to misunderstand the meaning of the words.

\-----

           A trip into Windhelm for them both, a run in with bandits, and almost two months of traveling, they finally arrived at the base of the mountain that led up to Mzulft. Jonghyun huffed heavily as he squinted up at the amount of stairs they still had to make it through before they reached the door. “Why did you chose this place of all to send mages?” 

           Jinki, a few dozen steps ahead of him, turned back with a big grin. “Is Jingles tired?”

           “Jingles is covered from head to toe in heavy metal armor and my ass is sore.” 

           That caused Jinki’s cheeks to rouge lightly as he smiled, bashful. “I apologize.” 

           “No, you aren’t.” Jonghyun was smiling though, even as his breathing was quick and heavy from trying to catch up to him. He stopped along the side of Jinki and nudged him with an elbow. “You’re enjoying this.” 

           “You seemed to rather enjoy it last night if I recall correctly.” After a moment, Jinki relented, shrugging, “Besides, maybe my ego is stroked a little.” 

           “Uh huh. Try a lot.”

           “Come on, just about a hundred left to go.” Enthusiastically, he bound up the steps, pausing a ways up to smile teasingly. “Aren’t you coming Jingles?” 

           “Shut up Magey.” He heard Jonghyun grumble. He only smiled more. Jonghyun sure was cute when he was grumpy.

\------

           As the large doors were pushed open Jinki quickly noticed the body against the wall. Jonghyun looked up when he heard the quick intake of breath, hands already curling around his ax, before he relaxed just slightly. He glanced around the room for possible causes, but inched closer to Jinki as he knelt by the body. “Is he one of yours?” 

           Jinki’s voice was soft and pained as he reached down to close the man’s eyes. “Taeyang. He… he volunteered for this. Was about to be named Master.” 

           “I’m so sorry Jinki.” 

           With a shuddered breath, he took the time to look over the scene, finding a journal clasped in the young man’s hand, covered in blood. Gingerly, he peeled it away, flipping through it hesitantly after glancing quickly around the room. He didn’t sense anything, but mechanicals always proved difficult to pinpoint compared to warm, living creatures. The last entry was messy and almost illedable, but somehow Jinki decoded it. “We have to find the Oculory.” 

           "The fuck is that?” 

           Jinki carefully closed the book, noticing the rough map a few pages prior, and wrapped it in a bit of extra cloth he ripped from his thin cloak. Once he straightened he pulled out a key from the small pouch on his hip, “I have no clue, but if the others are there, alive, I have to find them. I have to find out who did this to him.”

           “Jinki-” 

           “I sent them here Jonghyun.” Jinki almost growled, closing his eyes to keep himself from looking at the boy he helped train, that he saw grow from such a young boy. “He’s dead because of me. I will have justice.” 

           “Of course, Babe. Let’s go kick some Oculory ass.” 

           That made Jinki’s lips twitch up into a little smile. “Thanks for the spirit.” 

\-----

           As the old stone gave way to dirt, Jonghyun whispered. “It’s official. This place gives me the creeps.” 

           “Completely. Something is off here.” 

           Jonghyun glanced at him momentarily, “No witty comeback?”

           “I feel like we just stepped into something we never should have begun to fiddle with in the first place. So,” He couldn’t see Jinki’s face as the man began to walk again, but he heard the gentle sigh. “No, Love, there isn’t this time.” 

           Jinki had a magelight hovering just before them, his staff in his left hand and lightning sparking around his right. It wasn’t long before they reached a small opening in the path, a circular cavern with obvious signs of being inhabited fairly recently. There were wooden structures built, a fire in the middle of the cavern, bed rolls up on the top of the wooden structure to the right. There were bags of food and supplies to the left against the wall, a few burned out lanterns. Jinki turned to the right and walked up the small ramp to the top of the structure. There was a knocked over lantern, on the platform before the top, the glass shattered and cracked, as if stepped on after being knocked over. Jinki’s lips were pressed in a thin, grim line, “They made camp here before venturing further, but something must have run them off. I don’t understand. There were two full Master’s and 3 other researchers with them fully capable of protecting themselves. What could have overpowered them all so easily?” 

           “Are you sure you want to continue?”

           Jinki whipped around so quickly he felt a sharp pain flash in his neck for a moment. “I will find out what happened here. You do not need to come if you don’t want to Jonghyun. I’ll understand.” 

           “Yeah, not gonna happen hot stuff.” 

           As he came back down to the ground he flicked his eyes over to Jonghyun. “Afraid I’ll get myself into trouble?” 

           Without hesitation, Jonghyun replied, “Yes, guaranteed.” 

           Jinki stepped closer, hand on his lower back as he pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I love you too.” 

           He rummaged through the bags of supplies along the left side of the cavern, finding few things of interest. There were the last letters he had sent to the research party, the map that brought them here, and quite a few empty potion bottles, a little left over liquid swirling in the bottom as he picked them. He popped one cork and smelled it, grimacing. “I sent them with enough potions to last them six months in this place. There’s not a single one left.” 

           “I don’t like the sound of this conclusion you’re coming to.” 

           As he straightened, he hummed quietly. “Neither do I. Let’s get going. You better go first.”

           “Ah yes, must protect the lightweight, Babe.” Jonghyun was smiling softly as he kissed Jinki’s cheek before gripping his ax and moving toward the other cavern entrance. He heard noises coming from further up, clicking and rummaging, and a grin pulled at his lips. “I hear something.”

           He was rushing through the opening before Jinki could say anything. He cursed, lightning forming on his fingers again as he rushed after him. He hissed, “Jonghyun! Wait!” 

           He spotted the back of him as he rushed through the opening at the end of the hall. He heard the distant taunting, the sass of his lover, but before he could go and assist he heard rumbling from his right. The sound of his cursing was masked by the roaring of the tumbling rocks. He quickly stopped them from crashing into him with Telekinesis, tossing his staff toward the opening and Jonghyun. His teeth clenched as he focused on keeping the rocks up. 

           It was as his hands trembled, the magic beginning to fail, his eyes widened. His attempt to side step and let them go was ruined as his energy was gone and they came crashing into him. 

\----

           Jonghyun wiped the gross black sludge from the blade of his ax before turning back around. “Thanks for the help there, Babe.” When Jinki didn’t come into the room, his brows furrowed. He stopped rubbing the blade and started to walk toward where he had last seen him. “Jinki? Come on this is not the time for jokes.” 

           But the light, teasing tone of his voice shattered as he walked into the small passageway. First he saw Jinki’s staff discarded and then the fallen rocks. It took him just a second to notice the pale cream hair in the middle of the dark, grey rocks, but it felt like an eternity as his heart seemingly stopped in his chest. “Jinki!” 

           The rocks had to be heavy, but Jonghyun didn’t notice as he pulled and pushed them from on top of him. Jinki groaned, eyes fluttered a little as he tried to focus on his surroundings. Once Jonghyun had touched his face and brought his attention to him, he grimaced before forcing a smile. “A trap… couldn’t hold it any longer.” 

           “You have to heal yourself, I-” Jonghyun cursed the tears forming on his eyes, the shakiness of his voice. “I don’t know how bad the damage is and and I don’t-” 

           “Take… a breath.” Ironic in a way with how Jinki was struggling to do so himself. He twisted his hand just enough so his palm was up, fingers splayed. There was a soft golden light before it vanished as Jinki squeezed his eyes shut with a moan of pain from the movement. “I can’t. I’m magically exhausted. I’ve tried.”

           “Don’t you have any potions?” 

           Jinki made a noise Jonghyun could take a guess was supposed to be a laugh, but there the action caused him great pain. “Bandits stole most. Rest...Used ‘em.” 

           “I swear to all the Gods Jinki Lee, if you leave me-”

           “You’ll kill me?” Jonghyun glared darkly at him, jaw clenched. Jinki winced. “Sorry.” 

           “I gotta get you somewhere flat.. safe.. Where I can protect you better.” 

           “Rest... all I need to heal later." Each word was painful for him to say, by the way his eyes still hadn’t opened and the rigidness of his jaw. 

           Jonghyun pulled off his bag, rummaging for a moment before finding one of the emergency potions Jinki had made him before they left the college. He popped the cork with some difficulty and lifted it to Jinki’s lips. “Drink. It’ll help me be able to move you without so much pain.”

           Slowly, he swallowed. Jonghyun pressed his lips together and looked up, trying to keep his emotions in check for just a moment. He couldn’t let his fear overpower him right now. “Alright, Babe, brace yourself. This’ll hurt.”

\-----


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Jinki recovers slowly, they learn the importance of communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last part of the chapter deals with Jinki telling Jonghyun about the night his daughter was killed. I wanted to give enough warning because it's a serious subject, losing a child like that.  
> When you read, "Jonghyun ripped a piece of jerky off", that's the start of that part if you want to skip it.

            Jonghyun gently ran his hands over Jinki’s hair, careful not to jostle him too much as his head rested in his lap. His eyes were closed, his chest lifting just enough to indicate he was taking small breaths. “We should have made camp last night.”

            At the soft sound of Jonghyun’s voice, Jinki hummed, a little rumble in the back of his throat. “In retrospect, yes.”

            Speaking had proved a little easier for him, but any attempt at deep breaths to fill his lungs caused pain to descend over his expression. “You have to take better care of yourself. You need to tell me when we need to stop if you’re low on energy.”

            “I know.”

            “Because you scared me. Finding you like that.” Jonghyun squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears he felt forming to stop. When he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, Jinki’s gaze was waiting for him. “I can’t lose you too.”

            “You won’t.” He gave a little smile. “I apologize for worrying you, Love. I’ll do better to communicate.”

            “Good.” He leaned down to gently press their lips together in an upside down kiss. He caressed Jinki’s jaw slowly, frowning at the bruising there and across the skin, he could see. His hands were really bruised. He hoped soon Jinki had enough to heal himself enough to be able to move at least. “Because you told me you wanted to work towards being life partners. You can’t get out of that by dying. Not now.”

            “Don’t think of those types of things. I feel better already.” His smile widened just a bit as he requested. “Kiss me again, Beautiful.” Once he did, Jinki softly said, “Feel me near you. The warmth of me. I’m here. I’m alive, and I’m not going to go anywhere.”

            “I know,” Jonghyun mumbled just a breath’s distance from his lips. “I know.”

\----

            Jinki slept most of that first day, only being awake when Jonghyun woke him up to eat something. He healed himself a bit that evening, just enough that moving his neck and hands didn’t hurt and he could breathe more easily. He smiled up at Jonghyun as the man focused on the small braids he was putting in his hair. “At this rate, I’ll be finding them for weeks.”

            Jonghyun grinned as he met Jinki’s gaze, “Then you’ll be constantly reminded of me.”

            “Why would I need to be reminded when I’ll be with you, Love?” He lifted his hand to be able to squeeze Jonghyun’s knee to the right of his head. “Besides, you’re always on my mind, Beautiful.”

            The strands of hair fell from Jonghyun’s fingers as he squinted. “Were you always this charming?”

            “Yes.”

            “I don’t recall.”

            “Mm yes, but you hated my guts so you were a bit immune.”

            “Who says I’m not just immune to your charm?”

            Jinki laughed quietly, little soft puffs of air leaving his nose. “You’re my lover, are you not?”

            “Shut up.”

            “Make me.”

            Jonghyun opened his mouth before closing it once again as he focused on his braid again. Jinki chuckled causing Jonghyun to glare for a moment, but he didn’t say a thing.

\-----

 

            Sleeping seemed to do the trick because as the light fell through the opening in the hall to the rear of them, he lifted his palm up and golden light was bright and strong around his fingers. Jonghyun rushed over as Jinki tried to sit up, arms moving under his arms to help. Jinki’s teeth clenched a little as he settled. “It’s not enough to heal everything.”

            “But it’s enough that you can sit up.” Jonghyun pressed a kiss to his cheek as he sat next to him, offering him some water. “You look… better. There’s color in your cheeks.”

            “Isn’t there always with you being beautiful all the time around me?”

            “Oh shut up.” Jinki took a swig of the water and grinned brightly as his hand fell to his lap. As he put the cap back on he leaned his head against Jonghyun’s shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. He felt Jonghyun curl their fingers together, pressing their palms against one another, and a kiss was pressed to his hair. “Are you hungry for something more than fruit?”

            “I could eat something.”

            “Something on your mind?”

            Jinki hummed, accepting that somehow Jonghyun just... Knew. “You said you didn’t want to lose me too. It just… reminded me.”

            “Of what Babe?”

            “Everything I’ve lost… what I have to lose now.” Jinki smacked his mouth gently before lifting his head. He gazed at their intertwined hands as he continued. “I’ve never had someone afraid to lose me, not really. Everyone I’ve ever cared about has either left or has been killed. I should have taken better care of myself if only to not scare you like that. I know that fear and I should have understood that. I guess what I’m saying is I’m so sorry Jonghyun. I felt off, I felt tired, and I knew I was low on energy, but I pressed on because my mages needed me. I forgot that without energy I’m no help to them… Killing myself won’t help them.”

            Jonghyun’s lips were soft and warm as they pressed against his temple. “I love you.”

            He let out a shaky breath before laughing just a little as he lifted his gaze to find Jonghyun’s. “I love you too.”

\-----

            Jonghyun had his hands on Jinki’s hips as he tried to stand for the first time since healing himself more deeply. His knees buckled at first, but he caught himself with the extra support. He laid his hands over Jonghyun’s softly. “Thanks, Love.”

            “Take it slowly. You healed a very big injury.”

            “Just a little light headed.” Jinki squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, relieved he could fill his lungs fully without any pain. He rose his arms above his head, stretching out his back. Jonghyun let his hips go, stepping back just a little to give him space, but close enough to give aid if needed. “Give me a few hours and I should be ready to continue on.”

            “Excuse me?”

            Jinki turned slowly, eyebrow raised. “What about that do you need clarification on, Jingles?”

            “The continuing on.” Jonghyun crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed. “You just almost died. You aren’t going further into this place.”

            “I still have to figure out what killed my mages, what happened to the rest of the group.” Jinki mirrored Jonghyun’s body language, anger bubbling in his chest. “I can figure it out without running myself to the ground.”

            “Like you already did?”

            “There was a trap! YOU SET IT OFF.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. The angry expression had melted from Jonghyun’s face almost instantly, replaced with one of guilt. Jinki took a step closer, swallowing thickly when Jonghyun stepped away. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”

            “But I did set it off, didn’t I?” His voice was so soft and small it almost wasn’t heard over the crackling of the fire beside them. His gaze fell, breath shuddering as he said, “I almost killed you.”

            “Love-”

            Jonghyun wrapped his arms around himself, shaking his head as he turned around, “Rest. I… need to think.”

            Jinki stood with his arms limp to his sides, eyes wide and his heart breaking a little as he watched Jonghyun walk down the right hallway towards where they had first come into the cavern, away from him. He muttered quietly as he snatched an apple from the table against the wall. “Stupid Jinki just stupid.”

\-----

            By the time Jonghyun returned, Jinki was sitting on the opposite side of the fire, eyes staring at the opening Jonghyun left from, waiting. His chin was on his arms, legs pulled up against his chest. When Jonghyun did eventually walk back in, he froze when he realized Jinki was up and waiting. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

            Jinki tapped his fingers on his arms after lifting his head from them, “You thought I could sleep not knowing where you were?”

            Jonghyun pressed his lips together before making his way toward the fire, sitting on the opposite side of it. Then he sagged, hands in his lap and shoulders slumped. When he looked up he lifted his right hand and it was then Jinki noticed the flowers clasped in his grip. “I know it doesn’t make up for almost killing you, but these are the ones used for your Magicka potions, right?”

            He pushed off the ground and took the few steps around to him. Carefully, he kneeled, ignoring the flowers to take his face softly into his hands and kissed him. Once parted he quietly said, “They are, they do, and I’m just glad you came back.”

            “You thought I wouldn’t?”

            “I was getting a bit worried, I’ll admit.”

            “Always.” He hesitated for a moment before capturing Jinki’s lips again. “If you really want to continue on, I’ll support it, if you promise me you’ll take it easy. I’ll be more careful when it comes to traps. I shouldn’t have rushed in there like that. That was stupid and risky of me.”

            “Basic spells, I promise.” Jinki smiled and kissed the corner of his lips, “Thank you… figuring this out- It’s important to me.”

            “I know. We’ll figure out what happened here.”

\-----

            Jonghyun ripped a piece of jerky off, chewing it softly as he gazed over the fire at Jinki tossing in his sleeping roll. He had been restless for a while now, but the pain vivid on his face and the soft groans leaving his lips were a recent development. Jonghyun kept fighting off the urge to wake him up from whatever was plaguing his dreams. Was restless sleep better than not getting any type of sleep at all?

            When Jinki began to yell in his sleep, curling in on himself, Jonghyun rushed off the ground, furs falling from his shoulders in a heap. He fell to his knees beside him, stopping him by his hands on Jinki’s shoulders, “Babe! Jinki wake up, you’re just dreaming.”

            It took a few more attempts before he startled awake, sitting up quickly, eyes wide and gasping for breath. His eyes flicked over, fear and panic vivid in his gaze. He softened slightly as Jonghyun cupped his cheeks, caressing his thumb across his skin. With a gentle sigh, his gaze fell. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

            “I wasn’t sleeping, keeping watch. But,” He lifted Jinki’s head just a little as he shifted to make their eyes meet. “You were yelling in your sleep, Babe.”

            “What was I yelling?” It was Jonghyun’s turn to break contact, hands falling from Jinki’s cheeks. “Baby, what was I yelling?”

            “Jaehwa, Babe. You were yelling Jaehwa.”

            “Oh,” Jinki tugged his legs up to his chest, hugging them tightly as he pressed his forehead into them, hiding his face. His voice was muffled as he said, “I was dreaming of the night she died… when I found her.”

            “Oh Jinki, I’m so sorry.”

            Jinki shifted his head, looking to him with his cheek squished on his leg. “I’ve never told you about that night, have I?”

            “Just who did it.”

            “Mm.” Jinki’s lips quirked up and the small movement made Jonghyun’s heart start to break. “Would you like to know?”

            “I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell.”

            Jinki laid back down, but he lifted his arm, smiling, “C’mere.”

            They fit together easily, Jinki’s arm firmly around his waist, tugging him back as if there was space to cross. Jonghyun curled their fingers together as Jinki’s hand rested against his stomach, “Whenever you’re ready.”

            “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to relive that night, but you need to know. This, the dreams, happen a lot. Usually around this time of year. Her 7th birthday would have been coming up in a few days.” Jinki pressed his nose into Jonghyun’s hair, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “The general store owner used to be a transgender man named Minhyuk. He was kind to me in a way most of the town isn’t to mages. We fell into being lovers quickly and shortly after he told me he was pregnant. I had never thought about being a father. The state of the world wasn’t safe enough for me, let alone to bring an infant into the mix, but feeling the kicks as the pregnancy grew, I.. felt connected and I grew excited believing I was going to have this little being I helped create… a family of sorts.

            “I was almost late for the birth of her. As the pregnancy reached the final few months, Minhyuk spent a lot of time in the College. It was getting harder for him to work around the general store and he asked one of his childhood friends to look after it those final months.” Jinki’s body shuddered just barely and Jonghyun squeezed his eyes, trying to fight the urge to turn around. Jinki wished to be behind him for a reason. Maybe it was easier for him. “I was a new appointment Archmage, the youngest in quite awhile. I was very busy, trying to learn my responsibilities and what was expected of me. I had a lot to prove. My parents were well known at the college, I had a reputation to uphold. I wasn’t in the room when he went into labor.

            “I was returning from the front of the bridge meeting a new student. I stepped through the main gate and through the snow falling I saw Kibum running to me. Making a huge scene and causing everyone walking through the courtyard to look at me. He looked as if he was the panicking Father, to be honest. She was so beautiful, Jonghyun.” Jinki’s grip on his hand tightened and he pressed his forehead further into the back of him as his voice threatened to crack. “I got into that room and it was maybe a few pushes before she was here and my entire world just stopped. I had everything I would ever want in that little bundle I held.

            “Minhyuk and I were never meant to be, but we did our best to raise Jaehwa right. Every night after the last class, I’d go down and spend the night, helping feed and take care of her throughout. A few days a week I’d get her all to myself up at the college. She’d be wrapped on my chest as I worked on potions or taught a class. Kibum was very charmed with her. He was certain she’d grow up and kick her father’s ass in a duel.” Jonghyun could feel the wetness against his skin, the shaking of his body as he fought the urge to cry harder. “But then I was climbing up the back steps to the living residence that night and-”

            “Jinki, baby, you don’t have to tell me.” His own cheeks were damp, voice barely over a whisper.

            “I keep hearing the screaming, rushing in with fire to protect my family, and then...seeing Minhyuk holding our little girl, screaming, begging me to help, to change it, and I couldn’t do a thing. My entire world was crumbling and burning around me and all I could do was fall to my knees and take her from him, hold her close and wail. I-” Jinki’s hold on him lessened as he finally broke completely, sobbing, “I should have… protected her from him. It’s my fault. She was killed... because of me. The elf.”

            Jonghyun whipped around as quickly as he could without slamming his head into Jinki’s nose. He took one look at the shell of the man he loved and clung to him, one hand in his hand the other around his waist. “The only person at fault is that vile man for hurting your little girl, for taking her away from you. It’s not your fault, Baby. It was never your fault.”

            In response, Jinki’s fingers twisted in the thin cloth of Jonghyun’s tunic, sobbing into his chest, allowing himself to break into shambles completely.

\-----


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things had led him here to this spot, staring at the path before him with Jonghyun standing beside him, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor mention of Rape in terms of Taemin's conception and a bit of violence.

In the morning, or what he assumed was morning, Jinki woke up with his cheek squished against Jonghyun’s chest, their limbs tangled together as they tried to share the bedroll beneath them. There was a bad taste in his mouth and his head ached terribly. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh, realizing suddenly what had happened the night before. He didn’t feel better, but he did feel lighter like a slight weight had been lifted from his shoulders. When he opened his eyes again he gazed up at Jonghyun’s face, a small part of him surprised to still find him here. 

He shifted a little closer, pressing his body against Jonghyun’s, and curled his fingers in the cloth of his tunic on his other side. Jonghyun made a soft noise as his head moved, nose pressing into Jinki’s hair gently.

Jinki needed to figure out what happened to his mages, but for just a little while longer he’d find comfort in Jonghyun’s loose embrace.

\-----

Jonghyun lifted the water skin gently, smiling as Jinki took it to his lips to drink. “Once you feel you’re ready, we can head out.” 

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, shifting his gaze from the man beside him forward toward the path that led further into the ruins. Then with a sigh, his gaze lowered. “I apologize for last night.” 

There was a long pause before Jonghyun softly asked, “What about it?” 

“It has been some time since I have… fallen apart like that. I apologize for throwing that upon you to deal with.” He swallowed thickly, flicking his eyes over for a moment. “It wasn’t right of me.” 

“You don’t have to go through all your pain alone,” Jonghyun reached over and gently curled their fingers together, lifting Jinki’s hand up to press a kiss to the back of his hand. “Not anymore. You don’t have to be strong all the time. Alright?” 

“Alright,” Jinki breathed out quickly. It had been a long time since he hadn’t been alone, too. For years since he had chosen the college and his identity over love, he had people around him at the college and through his travels, but he could name very few instances where he felt anything but loneliness. He cherished Kibum for his friendship, Minho for his constant understanding and support, but both of them knew so much of his life, had lived through it with him in some way. He felt as if he could control his demons in the slightest way by being able to tell Jonghyun them. It was oddly healing in a way, he thought. Jinki flashed a little smile, squeezing his hand. “We better get going.” 

A kiss was pressed to his cheek before Jonghyun stood. “As long as you promise to stand behind me, and no funny business mister.” 

There was a fond smile on his face as he crossed his heart with two fingers. “Simple spells and atronachs. I promise.” 

“Good.” He pulled on his helmet and gripped his ax. His smile was bright from the front opening. “Time to fuck shit up.” 

Jinki chuckled as he followed, pressing his staff into the dirt with each step, grip tight around the wood. 

\----

Jonghyun cursed as both Dwarven spiders crumbled into pieces before him, rushing through the parts toward the last place he had seen Jinki. When they had been attacked by the Falmer he had been pushed forward, toward the rest of the ruins they hadn’t explored yet. The damn spiders caused Jonghyun to lose sight of him. He could hear the distant sounds of magic, the crack of lightning and the woosh of fire. As he turned the corner he spotted Jinki in the middle of the room, back pressed against his ice atronach, twisting together to fight the three Falmer attacking him.

He was staying true to his word and not using his more complicated powers, fire swirling around his left hand and arm. His hair had fallen from the tie, strands curling from the perspiration on his skin, and eyes focused. Even then, Jonghyun knew he was someone to be feared, but not because he was a mage, but because he was deadly, skilled. Jonghyun knew he should assist, but he wasn’t sure if rushing in would be a help or a hindrance. 

Jinki caught a sword swing with his staff, twisting it firmly with both hands and ripping the weapon from the falmer’s grasp. Just as quickly he had the creature flying across the room, crashing into the crumbling stone wall and falling into a heap on the floor among the rubble. The sword was dislodged from the wood and as he spun under the arm of his atonarch he threw it. It landed into the second falmer’s chest, leaving one to go. As the Falmer moved around the perimeter of the room is caused them to have their back to Jonghyun. As he stepped out of the shadows, banging the handle of his ax against the metal of his wrist guards to make noise, he gained the attention of the Falmer and Jinki.

The fire around Jinki’s hand quickly changed, light blue frost billowing around his fingers as he formed a spike and using the distraction, sent it straight through the last Falmer's head. Jonghyun blinked, stunned, as he lowered his ax. “That’s a bit overdoing it, don’t you think?” 

Leaning heavily on his staff, Jinki’s chest was rising and falling quickly, but there was a smile on his face. Even if his eyes showed just how tired he was. “It was 6 against Icey here and me. I’m done being civil.” 

As he closed the distance between them, he removed his helmet and sat in on the floor by their feet, along with his ax. He lifted Jinki’s chin, smiling as he pushed his hair back. “Are you alright? I’m sorry I took so long.” 

“I’m alright, Love. Promise.” Jinki slowly blinked, taking a deep breath to try and relax a little. “I’m a bit tired. Must admit how difficult it was to keep my promise to you.” 

“I’m glad you did.” One kiss to his cheek before Jonghyun hummed. “I think I see our destination.” 

Jinki twisted, looking behind him. Through fighting, he hadn’t noticed the looming door in the distance. “I sure hope so.” 

The room was vast, a dome ceiling curving above them. There was a bit of rubble and cracked stone lying where they had fallen a long time ago. Once Jonghyun had his helmet and his ax, they made their way toward the large door. Jinki looked around the room and noticed two doors, one to the north of them and one to the east. His curiosity was bubbling, wondering what was behind each, but once he was sure there wasn’t any more Falmer lurking in the shadows he focused on the main task at hand. The large door that Jonghyun was currently tugging on harshly to try and open. “Let me in, Dammit!” 

“Very subtle, Love.”

“It’s locked.”

“Also very astute I see.” 

Just then there was a voice from the other side of the door, soft and muffled. “Who goes there?” 

Jinki squinted as he stepped closer. “Taemin?” 

“I will only ask once more before I set off the traps.” The voice was louder, more defensive. “Who goes there?” 

Jonghyun flexed his fingers on his ax, but for once didn’t argue when Jinki pushed him gently back by a hand on his chest. “I am Jinki Lee, Archmage of the College of Winterhold.”

“Jinki?” 

“Let me in, please.” 

The groan of the hinges broke the fallen silence, and out of the dim light came a young boy. He had a mop of black hair on his head and small pointed ears poking out. He paused just inside the opening before a grin broke across his face. “Jinki!” 

As the boy slammed into him, Jinki got the wind knocked out of him, but he was quick to wrap both arms around the boy. “I’m so glad to see you alright, young one.” 

“Did Taeyang send you?” 

Jinki pulled away, frowning softly as he cupped Taemin’s cheek. “I’m sorry, but we found him. He didn’t make it.” 

“I wondered why no one came back.” Taemin’s bottom lip trembled. 

Jonghyun took that time to step forward, clearing his throat. “Let’s get inside. There could be more Falmer out here.” 

Taemin’s head whipped around to him, eyes quickly narrowing. “Who are you?” 

“He’s with me, Sweetheart. Come, he’s right.” Jinki walked back through the doors, left arm around Taemin’s shoulders, the other gripping his staff as he still used it to aid his movement. Jonghyun followed behind, walking backward to watch behind them until the doors closed. There was a makeshift camp at the end of the hallway, at the base of a large sphere. Jinki pushed down his curiosity on what it was, to focus on closing the big doors with magic and making sure the traps were set. When he turned around the young apprentice was taking a seat by the fire and Jonghyun was hovering between the two of them, leaning against the wall. “What happened here Taemin?” 

“It’s a long story.” He worried at his bottom lip, eyes staring at the flames before him as he pulled his legs to his chest. He didn’t look away when Jinki sat beside him. “When we arrived it seemed pretty straight forward. We were expecting the traps and protections left here by the Dwemer, but we soon found out that the number of Falmer calling these ruins home was more than we could handle. We were at camp, making a station to come back to from our research when they attacked while we slept. Master Eunji and Taeyang, they protected me, got me here. They left to try and find what could be keeping so many Falmer here or to get word to you, but weeks turned into almost two months.” 

“I don’t know what happened to Master Eunji, but we’ll find out on our way out of here.” Jinki reached over to grab the boy’s hand. “I’m proud of you, Taemin.”

“For what? All I did was stay locked in here while they-” 

“I never should have allowed Eunji to take you on this mission.” Taemin’s head whipped up, eyes wide. Jinki laughed quickly, amused, “You are very talented, but you are young. Too young I believe to have witnessed the horrors within these ruins.” 

“I’m so happy to see you,” Taemin rubbed his nose with his sleeve. “I’m almost out of supplies.” 

“You did very well in portioning what you had to last this long.”

“Who’s the brute?” 

“Hey!” Jonghyun huffed, squaring his shoulders.

Jinki tried to hide his laughter behind his hand but failed miserably. “His name is Jonghyun. He’s the reason I made it here at all.” 

“I doubt it. You’re the most powerful mage in Skyrim.”

“Your faith in me is appreciated, but I’m not without faults.” Jinki’s eyes lingered on Jonghyun for a few moments before he turned to Taemin with a soft smile, “Did you happen to find anything during your time here?” 

“If this big hunk of metal counts.” Taemin pouted slightly. “I’m not sure what it’s meant to do, wasn’t my section of research, but it seems cool. Was pushing lots of buttons and the dials moved, but I didn’t understand the purpose of it.” 

“I’ll look into that come morning.” Jinki sighed deeply as he reached up to rub at the base of his neck. “Are you hungry, Taemin?”

“A bit tired.” He glanced up, pink on his cheeks as he admitted. “I haven’t been sleeping very well with the noises outside the door.” 

“Why don’t you rest and when we have food, we’ll wake you.” Jinki could see the hesitance, but also the desire to do just that. “I promise you’re safe. Jonghyun and I will make sure of that.”

“Okay,” Taemin shifted a little curling up in his bedroom with a tiny bit of wiggling. “Mm, than...ks.” 

Jinki ran a hand over his hair gently as Taemin drifted off to sleep. “Always, Sweetheart.”

\-----

Jonghyun gazed over the fire at the young boy, still sleeping soundly wrapped in his blankets, as Jinki cooked a bit of the vegetables they still had in their packs from that traveling caravan of merchants. “You care a lot about him.” 

It wasn’t a question, but Jinki answers it as if it was. “I do.” 

“Who is he to you?” 

Jinki paused in his movements before sighing and putting the pan completely over the fire. Carefully, he moved back until he was sitting alongside of Jonghyun. “He’s my younger brother.” 

“What?!” 

“Shh!” Jinki hissed quietly as he made sure Taemin wasn’t going to wake up yet. “He doesn’t know.” 

What do you mean he doesn’t know?” Jonghyun scuffed. 

“He was just a babe when she died, just past his first name day. I had been traveling the world with Kibum and our mutual friend. He only met me after our mother had died and I joined the college… returned home to deal with things.” Jinki finally looked over at him, laying his head on his arms over his knees. “He’s my half brother. We have different fathers.” 

“Jinki…”

“I know I should tell him, but there are so many questions I know he has that I have the answer to. Ones I don’t wish to answer.”

“Like?” 

“His father he, forced himself on my mom.” Jinki swallowed thickly, lifting his head just enough to look at the fire instead. “Sometimes I wonder if it would have been different if I had been there instead of traveling the world like I was important or something. I remember her telling me through a letter. I read it while staying in the inn in Solitude. By the time it reached me, Taemin had already been born. I was on my way back to meet him a few months later when she was killed. She never treated Taemin for the sins of his father, never got to tell him what she wished to about that half of him. I’m not sure I’m ready to break the idolization I know he has for his Dad.” 

“Who does he think his father is?” 

“A traveling merchant, who died on the way back to Winterhold before he was born.” Jinki returned to moving the vegetables around to make sure they didn’t burn on one side. “He’s the only family I have left and he doesn’t even know it.” 

Jonghyun wiggled to get closer, laying his head on Jinki’s shoulder as he gazed over at the boy. “One day, sometime soon, you need to tell him that you’re his brother. It doesn’t have to be today, but someday.”

“I’m just afraid he won’t want anything to do with me.” 

“I’ve only seen you two together for maybe twenty minutes, and I highly doubt that.” 

Jinki snorted quietly. “I hope you’re right, Love.” 

“When have I been wrong?” When Jinki looked at him deadpanned, Jonghyun frowned. “Actually, don’t answer that.” 

\----

It so happened after they ate their small dinner, Taemin lead Jinki up the ramp to the top of the sphere because of how many questions Jinki kept thinking of. “There’s this weird sphere up there and some buttons. The buttons move the mirror looking discs on the ceiling, but the lights never lined up so I don’t know.” 

“You seemed to have worked through a lot.” Jinki squeezed his shoulder before taking the next bit of ramp to the top platform. He raked his eyes over the tomes sitting on the table behind the controls before plucking one up. Jonghyun knew that it wasn’t his place to ask questions, not that he’d understand what to ask or what the answers were, so he walked to the wall that separated the two platforms and sat against it, looking up at the mechanism waiting for Jinki to mess with it. 

He looked over when he felt someone sit next to him and smiled when he saw Taemin. The young boy smiled brightly, “Do you think he’ll figure it out?” 

“I sure hope so, or we’ll all be stuck here for another month until he does.” 

“You’re funny.” Taemin giggled softly. When he stopped he quietly asked, “How long have you known Jinki?” 

“About five or so months. Give or take a few weeks. He traded his room for an escort back to the college.”

“And you agreed?”

“I really wanted that bed.”

Taemin hummed before saying, “If you hurt him I’ll make you into a brute ice cube.” 

“Duly noted, Kid.”

“I’m not a kid! I’m Eleven!” Taemin whined. "Almost twelve!"

“Alright, slightly bigger kid,” Taemin grumbled before pushing off the floor and stomping up to where Jinki was, leaving Jonghyun laughing quietly to himself as the parts of the machine began to move. 

\-----

“What the fuck is it?” 

“Jingles, language.” Jinki sighed, running a hand over his face.

“Okkkkay, what the hell is it?” Jinki glared at him, “What, what’s wrong with hell?” 

With a shake of his head, Jinki focused back on the picture reflected on the wall before them. “It looks like a map. I have no clue what could be so important that the map that leads to it requires all this calculating.” 

“The Staff of Magnus.” Taemin quietly quips from his spot between them. He has one of Jonghyun’s large furs over his shoulders, the fuzz almost overtaking his small frame. His eyes are wide when both adults look down at him. “What?” 

“The Staff of Magnus is only written in the most restricted books in the Arcanaeum.” Jinki replies with a raised eyebrow. “How in the world did you get access to those?” 

“It was on your bedside table… I found it.” He was trying to hide in the furs, hugging them tight around him. 

“Ah, is that so?” Jinki mumbled to himself before humming, raising his voice as he continued. “I suppose it could be the Staff. That seems to be the Labyrinthian, but then again, I’d rather not explore that.” 

“Is someone scared?” Jonghyun asked, voice light and teasing.

“My predecessor as a young Master went there with 5 other fellow master Mages. He was the only one who returned out alive.” Jinki shrugged quietly, still studying the map before his eyes closed with a sigh. Then he looked at Jonghyun, “You still have my sketchbook in your pack right?” 

Jonghyun nodded and jogged down the ramp to find his pack. As he disappeared from view Taemin quietly asked, “Why does he have your sketchbook? You never let anyone touch it.” 

“I had no room in mine.”

“Are you together?”

“Taemin!” Jinki snapped his head toward him so quickly his neck cracked a little. 

“What! Just curious.” Taemin frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. “Kibummie says you need someone to share your bed.” 

“Oh my gods, Kibum did not talk to you about that.”

“No, I overheard him as he mumbled writing a letter. To Minho, I think.”

Jinki ran an exasperated hand over the length of his face. “I cannot believe…” 

His voice trailed off as footsteps could be heard approaching. Jonghyun grinned as he handed the sketchbook over. His smile fell as he looked between Taemin’s bright expression and Jinki’s exhausted one. “What happened while I was gone?” 

“Nothing of sheer importance,” Jinki quietly stated as he flipped open the leather-bound sketchbook, bringing the charcoal to the parchment. “Other than I have to kill my Master Wizard for corrupting the youth.” 

“Okay, what the actual fuck did I miss?”

Taemin’s burst of laughter was enough to let Jonghyun off the hook with cursing.

\-----

Jinki glanced over when he heard the soft footsteps on the old, worn stone. A gentle smile pulled at his lips at the sight of Jonghyun. “Hey, Love.” 

“I woke up and you weren’t in your bedroll.” He carefully sat next to him, back against the wall and shoulders touching. “I was worried.” 

“I’m sorry.” Jinki easily curled their fingers together, tugging Jonghyun’s hand over into his lap as the man’s head fell to his shoulder. “I couldn’t sleep so I came up here to think.” 

“I thought you might be up here tinkering with things.”

Jinki chuckled. “I thought about it, but it makes too much noise.” 

Then, Jonghyun lifted his head and removed his hand from Jinki’s grasp, actions that caused Jinki to focus more on the man quickly. “Can we talk?”

“Aren’t we already talking?” He flashed a little smile, nerves bubbling up and the sudden shift of the room. 

“We are, but I’ve also been thinking.” 

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

Jonghyun looked up at him and as he spoke a smile pulled at his lips. “I love you so much Jinki, you must know that.”

“I do.”

“But,” As the smile fell, so did Jinki’s heart. “You have so many secrets hidden within you and I understand that you hold them so deep in you because of the pain in which they cause or were formed. That doesn’t make it okay for me to keep having to find out things that are a big part of you as if I’m a stranger anymore. What happened with Jaewha is one thing. Keeping the fact you have a younger brother, one that I suspect was a big part of the reason you were so desperate to find the survivors of the expedition, is a completely different thing altogether Jinki. And you know that.” 

“It didn’t seem important.” 

“Jinki, he’s your only living family, blood family.” Jonghyun’s brows furrowed as he continued, “I would have understood your motives more. Supported you more easily when you wanted to continue. I understand the importance of family, you know I do. Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“How much of my past do you wish to know, Jonghyun?” Jinki quietly asked, finally looking over at him fully. While his voice was calm and soft, his facial expression was not, his eyes hard and focused. “I bet there are many things in your past that you’d rather be kept there. Why must you know mine?” 

“Because yours keep effecting now.” Jonghyun hissed, moving a little ways away from him. “Jaewha isn’t in the past for you. You’re living with the pain of her loss every single day. Taemin is right down that ramp. He’s apart of the present and the future, Jinki. That’s the difference.”

“Since you wish to know all my secrets so badly,” Jinki twisted until his entire body was facing Jonghyun. “Growing up in Markarth, I never imagined racism and terror I’d experience later. I trained with the blacksmith in fighting because I didn’t want to be the stereotype my friends claimed my parents were. I met Minho when I was eight. He lived down the stairs from me with his parents and older brother. When his parents disappeared and his older brother moved to Solitude to join the Empire’s forces, he moved in with us. My parents decided to move to Winterhold when I was 14. I didn’t wish to be a part of that, so, Minho and I ran away. 

“We met Kibum a few years later. I traveled with them as their Warrior, I was their first line of defense. Minho is an Archer and Kibum was already a mage at that point, skilled but untrained. The secret you seem to want to badly, is that I loved Minho. When I was 18, I proposed to him.”

“You were engaged?” 

“I was.” Jinki’s fingers flexed around each other in his lap as he continued. “We had been through a lot together, grew up on the road. We left home at 14 and 12. We had a date in Riften and then the news came of my mother’s murder.” 

“Why… aren’t you with him now? You aren’t still married are you?” 

“I’ve never been married Jonghyun. I couldn’t do that to you or him if that were the case.” His gaze fell to his hands as he continued. “When my mother died and then shortly after my Father, I decided that I wished to follow my destiny, follow their footsteps and become a mage. In doing so, I had to choose between my identity and Love, Minho.” 

“Why? He wouldn’t go with you?”

“He would have, but he’s a wood elf Jonghyun. They don’t do very well in winter climates for very long. I couldn’t do that to him, diminish his light for me. So I ended it.” Jinki reached behind him for his sketchbook, the book thick in his hands as he hesitated in handing it over. “I’ve had this since I left home at 14. I keep adding more pages to it, removing others, but you can look through it. I think you’ll understand me and my so called secrets more Jonghyun.” 

“Jinki I-” 

“I know I have a lot of secrets. I want to tell you whatever it is you wish to know, but I hope you understand putting my pain into words is difficult.” He stood then, smiling as he leaned down to press a kiss to his hair. “I will always hold Minho dear to my heart, but please remember after looking through all that, that I’d choose you no matter what.”

The last thing Jinki saw before he disappeared down the ramp toward their camp, was Jonghyun staring wide-eyed at the sketchbook held gingerly in his hands.

\-----

Minho was very handsome Jonghyun learned as he flipped through the book, but Kibum was also featured quite a lot in the beginning. There were pages of flower sketches, little notes about their properties and what potions could be made from them. As the sketches of Minho stopped, the pages shifted to notes of magic and technique, things he wanted to remember. Enchantments and spells, diary entries next to sketches of the view from outside the college windows. Then there was Jaewha and Jonghyun’s heart stopped in his chest.

Even without the label, he would have known who the little baby was. Jinki had been right, she was beautiful. One thing he noticed was the strokes of the pencil were lighter like they had been before the pictures of Minho had stopped… when Jinki had been happy. It wasn’t until he read the little note by a picture of Jaewha from when she was two, hair up in pigtails and a big smile on her face, did Jonghyun fully cry.  _ “The snow billows so softly and cold, but nothing will harm you little star in my hold. I will love you until the end of time, Sleep little star safe in my arms.” _

Little star seemed to be his nickname for her if the writings alongside the pictures were anything to go by. He had captured her life within these pages, writing small notes about her in the margins. From her first word to how she giggled when snow hit her nose. Her love of her father’s singing voice and how she would fall asleep in his arms only if he did when she was a baby. Jonghyun could tell by the frayed ends of the pages and the worn down ink around the sides that he had come to these pages far more than any other. He sucked in a harsh breath and continued on.

The next sketch had a date on the top. A year after the last of little Jaewha. The lines were dark and harsh, pulled with a force that left an indent on the next page. Jonghyun frowned deeply. The pictures of the snow billowing around the fountain in the courtyard, and the books of the library, were beautifully drawn, but he couldn’t forget the thick lines and how different they were from the delicate lines of before.

Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it was too late to not. He flipped through those pages quickly, stopping only when there was a sketch of Minho once again, laughing beside the garden in Jinki’s rooms in the college. Ah, so they were still in contact. Jonghyun wasn’t sure how he felt about that until he remembered Jinki’s final words. ‘I’d choose you no matter what.’

Sketches of Taemin were scattered throughout, and Jonghyun knew as the time passed that Jinki had kept a close eye on his upbringing and education, putting himself into it as much as he could while still keeping the boundary between them of Archmage and apprentice. Jinki may have trouble finding words to speak, but his written word vividly showed his longing to tell Taemin the truth, to have his brother as he should without the barriers. He wanted to raise him, to give him family they both needed. 

His bottom lip was trembling as he flipped the page, the date on the top ignored for a moment as he stared at his reflection on the paper. It was him hunkered over the fire, or firepit, frown on his face. When he finally looked at the date it was from that first month traveling, when lighting the fire was everything but easy for him. There were little notes again around the edges of the sketches, ‘ _ He seems to hate me, but I’m not sure what I’ve done to cause such a thing’.  _ He swallowed the lump in his throat and continued until he stopped at a picture of him sitting in the woods on a log, smile bright on his face. While the picture was beautiful it was the words at the bottom that made the tears appear again. ‘ _ I think I love him, but how could he ever love someone like me too?’ _

The second to last entry in the sketchbook was dated a few days prior. It wasn’t hard to recall the memory. It was of their time in the field of flowers, when chasing each other playfully turned into giggling between kisses, rolling around in the field. The picture showed him after, staring up at the stars with flower petals in his hair from their time together and a pleased smile on his face. Jonghyun wasn’t sure how Jinki captured it, but there were stars present in the eyes sketched on the paper. ‘ _ I hope he’s permanent.’   _ Was lightly written at the bottom of the page and Jonghyun quickly snapped the book close. 

He pushed off the ground and quickly walked down the ramp. Jinki was by the large door at the end of the hall, from the looks of things reinforcing the protective locks on it. Jonghyun gently placed the sketchbook on Jinki’s bedroll. The mage turned quickly as Jonghyun approached and barely was fully facing him before their lips were connected. Jonghyun curled his fingers in his tunic while he touched the base of Jinki’s neck with the other, their lips sliding together familiarly. When they parted Jinki was softly looking at him, looking as if there was a question on his lips. Instead, he remained silent as Jonghyun spoke. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I demanded you to show me these things… I should have waited until you were ready to show me, even if it took forever.” 

But Jinki just fondly smiled and took his face into his hands to sweetly kiss him. “I hadn’t planned on showing you my sketches.. Not fully like that. I’ve never shown anyone that. But I don’t regret having done it.” He caressed Jonghyun’s cheek, head tilted a little as he gazed at him. “Life partners don’t keep secrets from one another. I’ll be better at it if you’ll keep me.” 

In response, Jonghyun just kissed him once again, beaming when Jinki chuckled as they parted. “What?” 

“You talk better with your kisses.” 

“Oh, well then shut up and let me talk.” 

\-----

It was the next morning that they decided it was time to figure out what happened to Master Eunji and to give Taeyang a proper burial. Packing up their things Jinki could tell something was bothering Taemin. The young boy hadn’t spoken since he agreed to leave and that was very unlike him. While Jonghyun fussed with his armor Jinki sat next to Taemin and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?” 

“I just… don’t want to see Taeyang.”

“Jonghyun and I will handle everything. You can wait just inside until it’s done if you want to go pay your respects.” Jinki smiled sweetly when Taemin looked up at him. “It was very hard for me to see him. I won’t force you to witness something that could harm you.” 

“Do you think Master Eunji made it out?” 

“I hope she has.” He squeezed Taemin’s knee before noticing Jonghyun struggling with his armor still and standing. “Get your robe on. We’ll be leaving soon.” 

\----

 

“Do you plan on taking Taemin with us?” Jonghyun quietly asked as Jinki worked on fastening his breastplate on him.

“He needs to be at home at the college, safe.” 

“Do.. you plan on going with him?”

Jinki paused in his ministrations and straightened to look at him in the eye. “I plan on going with you. Minho is staying at one of our old cabins just to the south of here. All I’ll need to do is ask and he’ll escort him home.” 

Jonghyun laughed nervously as Jinki went back to work. “Minho… as in your almost husband Minho?”

“That’d be the one.” Jinki turned him around with his hands, shifting the armor until he was happy with it. “Are you okay with that?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I just thought I’d be with you longer when I met him is all. I mean, hah,” Jonghyun squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, “I just found out about him last night.” 

“And I apologize for that.” Jinki turned him back around with a smile, handing him his helmet. “There are very few people in the world I trust enough to protect him, Jonghyun.”

“If you needed to take him home I would have understood.” 

Jinki cupped his cheek for a moment before realizing Taemin was looking at them and slowly withdrew. “I have kept you from your mother for far too long, Love. Besides, I want to meet the amazing woman that gave me you.” 

“Oh, you’re just asking to be kissed.” 

He ran his tongue over his lips before giving a little smirk. He patted Jonghyun’s shoulder before walking around him. “Don’t be too slow getting your pack ready, Jingles. We move out momentarily.” 

Jonghyun glared at the back of his head, cursing him. 

\-----

In the end, Eunji wasn’t found, but her staff was. Jinki grimly grabbed it as he kneeled, trying to figure out what could have happened for her to drop it. He recognized it to be her’s easily, the staff shorter for her liking than a normal one you’d buy. He handed the staff to Taemin softly. “You’ll keep it safe for her until we see her again.” 

“You think she just.. Left this here?” 

“There’s no blood, Taemin. She wasn’t hurt, so that’s what I have to believe. Maybe when you return to the college she’ll be there waiting.” 

Taemin’s face twisted. “What do you mean by that? Why didn’t you say we? Are you not coming to the College?” 

“Not yet.” Jinki sighed, glancing at Jonghyun for a moment before looking at Taemin. “I am going to Riverwood to meet Jonghyun’s mother. I thought you’d rather go home than come with us.” 

“How am I going to get home? I don’t know the way.” His small hands were beginning to shake, bottom lip trembling as his eyes widened. 

“I have a friend who has a cabin near here, a safe house.” Jinki ran his hand through Taemin’s hair. “During his offseason, he stays there. He’ll take you home. You’ll remember him when you see him.” 

“You are coming back to the college right?” Taemin looked between the two of them, rocking on his feet for a moment. “You’re not running away with the brute, right?” 

“Of course I’ll return, but I have to do something for me just this once, Young one.” 

The subject was dropped as they turned around and made their way back through the ruins once they came.

\------

Jonghyun shifted his gaze from Taemin kneeling in front of the marker they had made, to Jinki standing beside him. The man had his arms crossed over his chest, body facing Taemin, but his eyes were closed, jaw tensed. “Are you alright, Babe?” 

Slowly Jinki’s head turned and his eyes opened, expression softening as he looked at him. “I will be, Love.” 

Softly, Jonghyun captured his hand swinging next to his between them, fingers curling together easily. “I can’t wait for you to see my home.”

“Is that so?” He mumbled as he moved to kiss his temple. “I hope your mom learns to like me.” 

“She’ll love you.”

Just as easy as they slipped together, they fell apart, creating space between them both as they heard Taemin approaching. Jinki smiled as he ruffled Taemin’s hair, “You ready to go?” 

“Yeah, I.. I said goodbye.” 

“Chin up, Kid.”

Taemin almost stomped his foot. “I am NOT a kid.”

Jinki just laughed as he wrapped an arm around him, “Come on, let's smoke him going down these steps.” 

“Does he get winded in his old age?” 

Jonghyun squinted as they walked past him, talking softly. “Oh very much.” 

“You’re older than I am!” 

His complaint fell on deaf ears as they started down the steps without him.

\-----

The trees loomed before them, rising up into the clouds it seemed, causing the path before them to be heavily shaded. Jinki placed his pack on the ground and hummed, “I better head in alone at first. Knowing him, he still has traps in place.”

“Traps?” 

“He’s a hunter by trade, Dear.” Jinki smiled as he walked forward. “There are dozen of traps set to put just as many arrows in you.”

“Excuse me, what?!” Taemin giggled at his bewilderment.

Jinki ignored his question as he calmly walked into the shadows, sighing as the beating sun on the back of his neck was blocked by the trees. He walked through the soft green grass and mushrooms before quickly twisting behind a tree, hearing the thunk as the arrows lodged into the wood of the tree. The next part was the worst and as the arrows flew he quickly created a wall of ice, not even blinking as it cracked just a bit as the arrows hit it. It was then hiding behind his wall of ice that he heard Minho call out, “Who are you and why shouldn’t I shoot you for trespassing?” 

He was laughing as he walked toward the edge of the wall, calmly calling out, “It’s not trespassing if it’s my land too, Matchstick.” 

As he stepped around the wall, Minho lowered his bow, a slow smile forming on his lips as he saw him. “Jinnie!” 

His bow was dropped on the porch as he jogged over, quickly bringing him into a hug. Jinki returned the embrace easily, relaxing in the comfort of his friend's arms. “Your traps need working.” 

“It doesn’t count if you were here when I put them in.” Minho pulled away, scuffing. He stood with his arms crossed, long brown hair over his shoulder in the braid he always had it in. “What are you doing here?” 

“Am I not welcome in my own cabin?” Minho cocked his head to the side, shifting onto one foot in response, causing Jinki to sigh. “I need someone to escort Taemin back to Winterhold.”

Minho raised one eyebrow, golden brown eyes sparkling as he smiled. “And why can’t you?” 

“I may be possibly going to Riverwood to meet Jonghyun’s parents.”

“Jinki, why that’s great!” 

“Yeah, so,” He cleared his throat before continuing, “Could you turn the traps off so they can come in?” 

“I don’t know. He did replace me.” Minho was smiling though and Jinki knew it was all in good fun. “Does he know about our past?”

“He does.” 

“Does he know we’ve slept together since?” 

“He knows we’ve seen each other since that I’m still in contact with you.” Jinki watched as the man walked toward the huge tree by his house, climbing up the added steps in the trunk to the crossbow loaded on one of the branches. “Why? Planning on getting me into your bed again?” 

Minho’s bark of laughter was loud enough, Jinki thought Jonghyun and Taemin could have heard it clearly. “As much fun as that’d be,” He swung to the next branch to disable the other trap. He winked at Jinki as he finished. “You seem happy. I wouldn’t want to fuck that up.” 

“Appreciated.” 

As Minho landed onto the grass by the tree, he wiped his hands off on his pants. He walked toward the house and quipped, “Go get your lover boy. I promise I won’t bite.” 

\-----

The first thought Jonghyun has when he walks into the cabin after Jinki is that while his sketches were great, they didn't do Minho's looks justice. The next is why the fuck is he so tall as he stands to greet them. Taemin rushes over, crashing into him in a big hug with a holler of his name, and Jonghyun notices the soft, fond smile pulling at Jinki’s lips at the display. Then the attention is on him and Minho is holding out his hand. “You must be Jonghyun. It’s good to meet you.”

Clasping his hand, it was rough, yet strong. Probably from years of working with a bow. “Likewise.”

Minho looked him up and down before looking at Jinki. “I approve Jinnie.” 

“Like I need your approval.” 

“You don’t, but I still give it.” Minho then smiled at little Taemin, “How about you help me cook the doe I have out back, hmm? I bet you’re starving.” 

“I haven’t had meat in weeks.” The boy happily quipped, rushing over to him to help.

Minho looked over at Jinki and scuffed playfully. “What have you even been doing to take care of him?” 

Jinki rolled his eyes as they left, turning to Jonghyun as the back door banged close after them. He smiled, stepping closer to squeeze his hand. “You okay?” 

“He’s a lot hotter than I pictured.” 

“I don’t know if that’s an insult or a compliment.” Jinki pressed a kiss to his forehead. “He means well, mostly.” 

As he went to take off his armor for the night, Jinki followed him into the spare bedroom. “You share ownership of this land?”

Jinki leaned against the door frame with his arms across his chest. “I do. When we broke up, I figured it was too much hassle to separate our names on the deed. It’s served its purposes when I needed a place to stay on my travels.” 

“So, you’ve been here since… you ended it.” 

“Mm, no more secrets.” Jinki took the few steps to sit on the bed, leaning against the backboard, legs crossed before him, as he looked at Jonghyun getting undressed at the foot of the bed. “I will always be very close friends with Minho. It’s easy around him. He’s been a part of every life-changing moment I’ve been through. When Jaewha died, he rushed up there to be there for me. Without him and Kibum, I doubt I would have had the restraint I had to not burn that city to the ground in my grief.” 

“I know you love me Jinki, but there is a self-doubting thought in the back of my mind that keeps making me think,” Jonghyun softly laid his breastplate on the floor under the window, turning with his hands on his hips. “That one day you’ll wake up and realize that you regret ending it and maybe reconcile. That I’m not him.” 

“We’ve tried and it didn’t work out. We missed our chance and I’ve come to terms with the fact our lives are leading different, if not sometimes crossing, paths. We want different things in life. I want to settle down, he doesn’t like staying in the same place for more than a month.” Jinki patted his lap once Jonghyun was out of his armor completely. “Close the door and c’mere, Love.” 

The door clicked close with a soft woosh before he was climbing up the bed and gently sitting on his lap. Jonghyun pouted as he played with Jinki’s fingers resting on his tummy. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m silly.”

“Never silly.” Jinki lifted his chin and pressed a kiss to his lips, “I won’t belittle your worries. Do you trust me to be faithful to you?”

“Yes.” 

“I love you and I hope you’ll trust me in my friendship with him.” 

“Who called it quits the second time?” He hesitantly asked, eyes flicking over Jinki’s expression as the man answered. 

“I did.” 

“How long ago was it?”

“About a year before I met you.” Jonghyun hummed before falling silent. Jinki squeezed his hands, voice warm as he spoke again. “Talk to me, Love.”

“Have you had sex on this bed?” 

“Not yet.” Jinki rose an eyebrow when Jonghyun blushed slightly. “Changing that has all to do with you tonight, Love.” 

“You’re really insufferable.” 

“Hey,” A kiss was pressed to the corner of his mouth, but Jinki only pulled away far enough that their noses brushed. “I’m not trying to diverge the conversation. I don’t want you uncomfortable around him.” 

“I trust you. If I can trust you with my life I can trust you to be friends with a man you’ve known since you were a child and still be with me.” 

“If you are uncomfortable with anything, talk to me, okay?” When Jonghyun nodded with a soft smile, Jinki wrapped his arms around him. “And I mean anything. We’ll talk things out.” 

“Can you hold me for a little bit?”

Of course, he would, Jonghyun should have known. They laid down with Jonghyun mostly on top of him, his head pressed into Jinki’s neck and arms tight around each other, until Taemin came knocking to tell them it was dinner time.

\-----

The firepit was very warm in the center of the room. Minho had given his room up to Taemin for the night, opting to take the couch. Jinki found a bottle of his wine in the basement, sipping from the bottle slowly as Jonghyun leaned back against his chest. Minho gazed at them softly before saying, “I expected someone taller. You’ve always had a thing for taller guys.” 

Jinki took a sip of his wine before placing his chin on Jonghyun’s shoulder, gazing over at Minho. “The last two tall men I slept with didn’t end well, so I decided to switch it up.” 

Minho almost spit out his ale he was laughing so hard. Once he calmed down enough he happily asked, “Is he a good fuck, Jonghyun?” 

“We are NOT doing this.” Jinki hissed, face and neck turning red.

Jonghyun, who apparently had other plans, shrugged from under his blanket. “I’m not complaining.” 

“I was worried he’d level out in his old age.” 

“Keep it up Matchstick.” Jinki squinted, but he wasn’t really that menacing with how curled he was around Jonghyun. 

“Why is his name Matchstick?” Came the soft question after Jonghyun turned his head a little to ask Jinki. 

“We met when he knocked over a lamp and his hair caught on fire.” Jonghyun giggled quietly, eyes fluttering a little in his drowsiness at the reply. “I had to push him into the stream running through Markarth to put it out.” 

“I’ve tried to live it down, but he’s stubborn if nothing else.” Jonghyun found he was warmed by the way Minho looked at Jinki. There was a softness to the gaze, a fondness that told him he cared for Jinki. Maybe the idea of soulmates didn’t just include romantic ones. “Before we set out tomorrow morning, I must know, Jinnie. Have you told Taemin?” 

It was then a small voice came from the shadows dancing on the wall, “Tell me what?” 

Jinki could feel all eyes in the room fall on him, but he couldn’t find the words just yet. He thought he’d have more time to think of what to say, to think of how to go about telling the boy he did have a family. He swallowed thickly, shaking his head when Jonghyun tried to comfort him quietly and untangled himself from him to stand. After a deep breath, he approached Taemin slowly. “I think we should go into the other room to talk.” 

“Jinki?” The worry in those eyes made Jinki’s heart hurt.

“Come on. There’s something I should have told you a very long time ago.” Taemin allowed him to lead him into the room the boy had just vacated. “Sit down, sweetheart.” 

“I’m a little scared.”

Jinki sat beside him and sighed. “I hope one day you’ll forgive me, Taemin. You’ve always asked about your family, of your parents. When I told you I didn’t know much about them, I lied.” 

“What?” Taemin pulled back, twisting so his leg was up on the bed, brows furrowed as his tone of voice rose. “What do you mean?” 

“Your mother was a very smart, powerful and beautiful woman. She was kind and loving, mighty protective of those she cared about and those who needed a voice.” Jinki couldn’t bring himself to look at Taemin as he finished his thought, “I know, because she was my mother too.” 

“Wh-what?” His voice was just above a whisper, his bottom lip trembling as his eyes widened. “You’re my brother?” 

“I am.” He curled and uncurled his fingers in the fabric of his pants, trying to stop them from shaking so badly before he took the chance to look at Taemin. It broke his heart seeing him so shaken and afraid, betrayed… by him. “I was on my way to meet you for the first time when she… died.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Taemin scowled, pushing off the bed to stand, arms held taunt at his sides and hands curled into fists as his voice rose. “All the times I asked about my parents, about my family! You knew and you just let me believe no one wanted me, that I had no one left!” 

“Everything I touch Taemin dies or leaves. I watched over you, I made sure you were taken care of and educated. I protected you in the only way I knew how, from afar.” Jinki’s head fell into his hands, fingers pushing into his hair as he sighed, heart aching. “How was I supposed to tell you I was your brother and raise you by myself when I hadn’t worked through my own grief? You deserve more than me, but I’m the only family you have.”

“Is my father really dead?” 

Jinki whipped his head up, eyes brimming with tears. “No.”

“No?” Taemin stumbled back, gripping the wood of the door frame clumsily. “Than you aren’t my only family.”

“Don’t make me say this Taemin. Just.. please think your father was killed.” 

“Why? Just because you don’t have a father doesn’t mean I shouldn’t.” 

“You don’t understand, Taemin. There are things you shouldn’t have to know.” 

“I don’t want to be lied to anymore.” He clenched his teeth together before almost yelling. “Tell me!” When he refused once again, Taemin screamed it.

Each word that came from his mouth was a stab to his heart. “Your father raped our mother. If I ever met him, I’d kill him myself.” 

Silence fell and all Jinki could hear was the harsh beating of his own heart, until finally, Taemin quietly said, “Please get out.” 

“Taemin-” 

“Get out, Archmage.” 

Jinki closed his mouth, pressing his lips together and willing the tears down for just a few minutes longer as he stood. As he stepped through the door he looked back and quietly said, “I am sorry.” 

“I know.” And then the door was closed in his face.

\-----

Jinki couldn’t recall much of the night before other than somehow he had made his way into bed after telling Taemin the truth. When he woke up his head hurt and his chest ached. He turned, expecting to see Jonghyun sleeping, but instead he was up, quietly eating whatever food was on the plate in his hand. He turned slowly, smiling softly as he ran a hand through Jinki’s hair when he noticed him awake. “Good Morning, Babe. How do you feel?” 

“Like shit.” 

“At least you’re honest.” He removed his hand to grab the fork on the plate, holding food down to him. “Eat. It’ll help.” 

Jinki groaned as he pushed up, taking the fork to eat the door. He squinted at the bright light coming into the room through the window. “What time is it?” 

“Probably late morning.” Jonghyun looked at him for a long minute before handing him the plate and reaching over to the side table. “Taemin left with Minho a few hours ago. He left this for you.” 

Jinki ran his fingers softly over the folded parchment. “He’s gone?”

“He is,” Jonghyun frowned, cupping Jinki’s cheek. 

“I wanted to say goodbye, I-” Quickly the plate was removed from his hands and discarded behind Jonghyun, so he could take Jinki’s face into both of his hands, to focus his attention.

“You’ll see him again. He needs time to process what you told him. Have patience. You won’t lose him.” 

“How do you know?”

“For one, he did threaten to turn me into a brute Icicle again if I hurt his brother before he left.” He pressed a kiss to his forehead before finishing, “And second, I heard him tell you he loved you when he dropped the letter off. Just give him time.” 

Jinki’s gaze fell to the letter held in his hands for a moment, before he quietly asked, “Can you leave me alone to read it?” 

“I’ll be here when you need me.” Once he detangled himself from Jinki and the blankets, Jonghyun slipped on his boots and headed out of the door, closing it behind him. After one final deep breath, he unfolded the paper.

_           Dear Jinki, _

_                     I’m sorry I made you leave. I just wanted to think by myself. I’m mad and hurt that you lied, but mostly because… you’re my brother and you’ve made me feel like I was alone. I need time to forgive you, but, maybe when you come back home we can talk more, okay? _

_ Love, _

_ Your Little Brother _

Jinki found himself smiling a little at the final words. He folded the paper and wiggled out of bed, putting it between a few pages in his sketchbook. It hadn’t gone the way he had wanted when he told Taemin, but there was still hope things could be fixed once he returned home. And that’s all that mattered.

\-----

The Cabin was locked up soundly and Jinki didn’t look back as they stepped out of the shade of the trees. The sun was bright high in the afternoon sky. As he took a deep breath, his eyes fluttered a little. “Are you okay, Babe?” 

Jinki slowly looked at him, before smiling. “I think I am.”

Jonghyun grinned so beautifully at that, wind whipping his hair from his face. Before them stood a path to the nearest town, hopefully, that would sell them horses, and then off to Riverwood. When he had offered Jonghyun his room all those months ago at eventide, he had never dreamed he’d be returning very close to where they set off from together, to meet Jonghyun’s mother. He tried not to think too much about that just yet, or his nerve would ruin him. Instead, he focused on the soft squeeze of Jonghyun’s hand in his before they let go, continuing down the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you enjoyed this! I do have a sequel planned and few one-shots to connect the two.  
> Thank you for reading <3


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